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Task Force Rallies for Hurricane Season

Hurricanes Gustav and Ike caused serious damage in southeastern Texas and the lower parishes of Louisiana. States as far north as Michigan experienced severe weather, and damage is yet to be assessed in some areas. Heritage Preservation and Heritage Emergency National Task Force members continue to monitor the effects of the storms.

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A statue dedicated to the victims lost at sea in the hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900,shown after Hurricane Ike. Photo courtesy Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA.

Heritage Preservation’s Hurricanes and Tropical Storms Web page provides access to useful recovery resources, including the Guide to Navigating FEMA and SBA Disaster Aid and the free streaming video on coping with water damage. The Navigation Guide was downloaded more than 1,400 times in September. An online reporting tool allows people in affected areas to submit information about damage, response, and needed assistance.

Heritage Preservation staff has worked to make Task Force resources widely available. State agencies, including the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the State Library of Louisiana, began linking to the Hurricanes and Tropical Storms Web page in the days before the hurricanes struck. WCTV in Tallahassee, Florida, encouraged businesses to protect vital records from potential damage, recommending that readers visit Heritage Preservation’s Web site for more information. The Galveston Historical Foundation distributed Heritage Preservation’s Save Your Treasures the Right Way to Galveston homeowners after Hurricane Ike as part of a “flood bucket” that provided residents information on dealing with the effects of flooding and mold on their homes and belongings.

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The Strand, a National Historic Landmark District in Galveston, still under water three days after Hurricane Ike. Photo by Weez Doherty, courtesy Galveston Historical Foundation.

Heritage Preservation is convening a series of conference calls to facilitate response and recovery. Representatives from state agencies and associations provide firsthand accounts of damage. Valuable connections are made to both state and national resources. One recent call opened a dialogue with the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness on the importance of early access to damaged collections.