What happens when your important paperwork and family documents get soaked in a flood?
“Oftentimes, our photos, our documents, our books, aren't on the highest priority, but the longer we wait, the more irreversible the damage is,” said Pūlama Lima, executive director of Ka Ipu Makani Cultural Heritage Center on Molokaʻi.
The nonprofit helped community members dry out valuable documents that got waterlogged in recent flooding from the Kona low storms.
She shares tips on how to minimize damage.
“The highest priority is, of course, getting things dry,” Lima explained. “The longer you wait to get things dry, the more susceptible they are to mold.”
But in the midst of recovery, people may not have time to dry these items out right away.
“What is usually recommended, if folks have the means to do so, is to freeze a lot of the paper and documents and books.”
Lima recommends putting items in a cardboard box and sealing it in a trash bag to prevent frost forming on the materials.
“Then when you are ready to address the problem or try and recover your documents, photos or materials, paper materials, then you bring it out, and then defrost it, and then immediately try to get it dry.”
In partnership with the Molokaʻi Public Library, Lima helped to recover residents’ soggy materials in a well-ventilated area.
She stood surrounded by paper towel-lined books and photos hanging on drying lines.
“Some very low-tech ways that we've been doing here at the library is putting things out that are absorbent on tables, like puppy pads, towels, paper towels — anything really that will absorb water — and then laying things out.”
Air circulation is key, as well as keeping photos and documents out of direct sunlight or heat, as that can cause additional damage. For books, Lima suggests separating each page with paper towels and standing them up in front of a fan once they’re dry enough to stay upright.
Safety measures are also key when working with aging and moldy materials.
“You always want to protect yourself, so making sure that you have on mask and gloves while handling the materials, and just being very, very delicate and careful as you process through each thing,” Lima advised.
Lima said the recent flooding unfortunately claimed many items that did not carry price tags.
“I wouldn't doubt that there's been loss of irreplaceable things and important documents within families.”
Lima said realizing the community's need came from her own experience when a portion of her house was affected by flooding.
“How we came to the idea that everybody must be going through this is because my own personal records and genealogies were sopping wet,” she said. “So we just wanted to open up this space to, you know, for the community and provide the expertise to help dry things out.”
Lima said Ka Ipu Makani Cultural Heritage Center received guidance on proper protocols from National Heritage Responders' Malia Van Heukelem and Liane Naʻauao at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library.
On Molokaʻi, Ka Ipu Makani is available for assistance or guidance with flood-damaged paper materials. If your library, archive or museum collections have been affected by an emergency, you can contact the 24/7 National Heritage Responders hotline at 202-661-8068 or email NHRPublicHelpline@culturalheritage.org.
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