Readying Your Collection: Hurricane Preparedness
Hurricane season typically begins in June, running through November. During this time, tropical storm and hurricane frequency drastically increases, with the most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October… making now the perfect time to take preventative action, ensuring your collection remains safe, secure, and well-preserved during this volatile period.
Disaster management begins with assessing what is most likely to go wrong and where. To complete this assessment, one begins with a “Hazards Survey,” of the building wherein your collection is stored, and of the surrounding environment. Important questions to ask include:
1. What areas or sections of your space most susceptible to damage? Understanding where your work should be stored versus where it may usually be displayed is essential in preventing damage to collected objects. Perhaps a work is displayed in an area of the home vulnerable to flooding; as such, these works should be moved and stored in another area of the home during seasons where flooding is likely.
2. What back-up systems are available? In cases of works requiring electrical temperature and humidity control, ensuring backup generators or other energy sources are available may be essential for the safe storage and preservation of collected objects.
3. Are protective systems installed? This includes smoke and heat detectors, fire extinguishing systems, warning water detectors, etc.
4. What environmental risks are present? Such risks can vary according to location, for some, large, nearby trees with shallow roots could pose damage if disturbed during a flood; for others, structural instabilities may be present which could present risk to stored objects.
5. What storage capacity does your structure hold? Location and placement of storage should be carefully chosen, and as safe as possible. Storage shelving or other organizational structures should be raised from the floor to prevent potential damage from flooding, and inflammable material should be used where possible.
After completing the “Hazards Survey,” a fastidious collector continues preparing by assessing their collection priorities; completed by evaluating the potential limits of one’s storage space, and thus organizing their collected works accordingly. Some objects may have a higher vulnerability than others in one’s collection, and thus must be a higher priority when safely storing them. Alternatively, some objects in one’s collection may have a higher degree of personal importance or financial value than others, and must be prioritized accordingly. Each collector possesses individual priorities which will guide the storage of their collection; some emphasizing works generationally inherited according to sentimental value, with others centering objects which may possess greater monetary worth. Regardless, knowing the constraints of your storage space and working to manage and store your work with this in mind will prove essential tactics in mitigating damage to one’s collection.
Beyond a “Hazards Survey,” and assessing collection priorities for storage, other proactive steps can be taken in cases of disaster management. Beyond physically protecting and safely storing the work, is is important to check that your collected objects and other luxury valuables are adequately insured; this will protect your financial investment in the object in case of damage. If your works are largely uninsured, it is vital to employ a qualified appraiser to produce an appraisal report detailing retail replacement value to ensure your financial interests are protected, as well. Other proactive steps to consider include:
1. Producing an inventory of your collection. This inventory should be as extensive as possible, including images and quality assessments of your objects and assets to prove both the existence and condition of your property in case of emergency.
2. Creating digital copies of your records. From appraisal reports, receipts, inventory lists, images, and other relevant records, documentation recording your collection should be digitized and stored online to ensure their endurance.
3. Consulting with art evacuation professionals. If this option is financially viable, it is advised to consult with a fine art firm specializing in art evacuation services. For some, available storage may be insufficient for their collection, or an incoming storm may be of greater destructive power than anticipated. These firms make plans to transport your collection to a storage facility beyond the storm’s reach for safe-keeping, ensuring your work is well-protected even in cases where your preventative measures may fall short.
Some advise both photographing and appraising each collected artwork prior to the storm. Ensuring appraisal assessments are up-to-date and reflect the current market value of each item in storage condition may be essential; if appraisals are outdated, collectors risk reduced insurance reimbursements that do not reflect the work’s value. It is advised for collected works to be assessed every three years, with objects evaluated according to a collector’s priority order. Updating condition reports prior to potential storms is also advised; this serves as a baseline evaluation, against which potential following damage may be measured.
These general disaster preparatory steps can be applied to just about any emergency scenario, but in the event of a hurricane, some more specific planning and preventative measures are required. For many collectors, specific and secure storage areas for collected works are unavailable due to spacial constraints, especially for collectors whose works may be vulnerable due to their location in a beach or vacation home. For such collectors, these provisional steps may be taken:
1. Remove and store outdoor art, if possible. If outdoor art cannot be removed and re-located indoors, ensure these works are secured. Any vulnerable assets should be moved into interior rooms, away from windows.
2. Much like one would when preparing a home to weather such a powerful storm, ensure your windows are boarded up sufficiently, and that that a sandbag perimeter is established if your property is at risk of flooding.
3. Many homes have plaster walls, whose structural integrity is severely compromised when damp. Hurricanes pose a strong risk to any art displayed on such walls, as it is easy for plaster to take in water. Thus, work which is presented on plaster walls should be removed and stored safely elsewhere.
4. If possible, paintings and other works on stretched canvas or works which may be unframed and unglazed should be wrapped in plastic to provide additional protection against water damage. Similarly, smaller assets should be stored in waterproof plastic bins.
5. Re-located works should be elevated from the floor to avoid potential damage from flooding. If paintings or other framed works are stacked and stored against an interior wall, they should be separated using large sections of stiff cardboard to prevent damage to the work’s frames or canvases.
Finally, collectors should consider the steps taken following any emergency event, creating a “Disaster Recovery Plan.” Such a plan can be divided into three phases:
1. Discovery and review of damages. After the event of a disaster, the affected area should be surveyed, with records made of any damages. Photographs and videos are advisable for insurance purposes, and to document any faults in the safe storage of the work so as to implement better preventative measures in the future. When reviewing the damage, collectors should consider the following four questions:
a. Which objects are in imminent danger of further damage? Such objects should be removed as quickly as possible, and placed in a clean, secure area.
b. Which objects are in danger of additional damage if moved? If any effected objects will sustain further damage upon attempted removal, throughly photograph the object’s condition and environment and prioritize the removal of other objects. A conservation specialist may need to be consulted.
c. If objects can be moved, where can they be moved to? Any action taken to remove objects from the damage site should involve a minimum of movement; just enough to insure its physical safety. The location and transportation of damaged objects should be evaluated accordingly.
d. What is necessary to move these objects safely and quickly? Collectors should consider what methods of transportation or areas of storage are at their immediate disposal.
In cases of hurricane-specific emergencies, care should be taken to relocate any assets which may be in contact with standing water or near areas of increased humidity. Standing water should be removed from areas where work is stored as soon as possible, and excess humidity should be mitigated through the se of dehumidifiers and air conditioners, if possible.
2. Assessment and recording of damages or destruction. Objects should be assessed individually, with a fastidious collector seeking to document the state of the objects if damage is sustained. Photographs should be taken, and all works should be inventoried, insuring none have disappeared or been re-located without the collector’s knowledge. Changes in dimension, appearance, and texture must be noted, as this may prove crucial for the proper disposition of insurance claims. During this process, objects which were originally in danger if removed may be removed for safe storage.
3. Recovery and repair of damages. Here, a conservation specialist will likely need to be consulted if the damage sustained to one’s collected works is profound. Any works which have sustained contact with water will need to seek restoration as soon as possible. Collectors should know: the sooner you act, the more likely it is the damaged work can be salvaged. It is advised that, during this phase of the recovery plan, works are reappraised and insurance claims filed. A fastidious collector will hire a USPAP-compliant appraiser to provide an appraisal report for any damage and losses, which will be used both in cases of insurance claims or IRS casualty deductions.
As a collector, ensuring your works are protected and safe in case of emergency is essential. These works represent often years of meticulous curation, and can constitute significant financial investment. Taking action to prevent damage prior to disastrous events like hurricanes can safeguard your valuable assets, and can help you establish avenues for recovery after the fact.
Article by Astrid Bridgwood