Save Your Family Treasures
Fact Sheets
Additional Resources
FEMA and the Smithsonian Institution co-sponsor the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, a partnership of more than 60 national service organizations and federal agencies created to protect cultural heritage from the damaging effects of natural disasters and other emergencies.
The Task Force offers the following guidance to help you recover your family treasures from a disaster.
Steps to Save Your Family Treasures
With a little patience and prompt action, saving cherished photographs, letters, paintings and other irreplaceable objects is possible. These step-by-step instructions will help you stabilize your treasured objects and buy you time to make an educated decision on further treatment and handling of your family mementos.
Fact Sheets
When lives are upended by a flood, hurricane, tornado or fire, treasured possessions such as family heirlooms, photos and other keepsakes become more cherished. The Heritage Emergency National Task Force offers these basic guidelines from professional conservators for those who are searching for — and finding — family treasures amid the ruins.
After the Fire: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures
After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures
Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuables and Heirlooms
English
Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuables and Heirlooms
Spanish
Cómo salvar los objetos de valor y las reliquias familiares dañados por el agua (Spanish)
Chinese
Haitian Creole
Ranmase dlo-domaje fanmi yo ak piès eritaj (Haitian Creole)
Vietnamese
Cứu Hộ Các Tài Sản Có Giá Trị Và Vật Gia Truyền Về Mặt Gia Đình Bị Hư Hỏng Do Nước (Vietnamese)
Portuguese
Como proteger os bens valiosos e heranças da família danificados pela água (Portuguese)
Additional Resources
Since 1995, the Task Force has been providing individuals and the cultural community – museums, libraries, archives, arts organizations, records offices and more – with guidance and technical assistance before, during and after disasters.
A wealth of resources exist on the Task Force website, including the following:
- Resources for the Public and Historic Property Owners
- Response and Recovery Resources
- About the Heritage Emergency National Task Force
For more information about protecting cultural heritage threatened or affected by disasters — in the United States and abroad — visit the website of our partner, the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative.