In the Wake of the Storm: The Importance of Preparation for Museums and Heritage Sites

Satellite image of Hurricane Michael, 2018 
(courtesy of NOAA)

 In 2018 Hurricane Michael hit the Florida panhandle and continued up into southern Georgia. The damage was unlike anything seen in the area in recent history and many were unprepared for such an intense storm. The wind and storm surge wreaked havoc on both coastal and inland communities, destroying countless homes and businesses. Another victim of the storm were many small community museums, historic landmarks, and historic cemeteries, many of which still remain closed or damaged to this day.

Rapidly intensifying storms are becoming increasingly common, and scientific data suggests that this trend will continue as the global climate continues to warm. The frequency of category 4 and 5 hurricanes (category 4 having wind speeds of 130 mph  to 156 mph, and category 5 having wind speeds of 157 mph or greater) is increasing as a result of climate change. A storm with a wind speed of 150 mph has 256 times the damage potential of a storm with a wind speed of 75mph. The amount of rain is also increasing, as a warmer climate can retain more moisture. This flooding, along with storm surge, has the potential to damage not only coastal sites and structures, but also those located inland. Recall the amount of flooding sustained by the Muscogee Tribe of Florida, located in Bruce, during Hurricane Sally. Scientific data suggests that both wind and storm surge damage will increase faster than the U.S. economy is expected to grow. Additionally, there is an anticipated increase in the number of storms that will impact the Southeastern U.S. 

Tarped roof of historic structure at the 
Panhandle Pioneer Settlement Museum in 
Blountstown, Florida after Hurricane 
Michael. 

We are used to boarding up our home and our businesses, but if we want to ensure that our heritage resources are protected as well, we need to start considering them in our hurricane preparedness plans. As we responded to heritage sites damaged by Hurricane Michael, it became apparent that many of these locations didn’t have a plan in place for hurricanes, or really any disaster event. And we can’t really blame them. Nobody anticipated such a significant storm, and it had been years since a high intensity storm hit the panhandle with such force. 

There is a lot that even a small, financially strapped, museum can do to help ensure their collections and buildings have a chance of surviving a storm with minimal damage. After seeing the damage of Hurricane Michael, we felt it was our responsibility to get that information out and encourage heritage sites to create a disaster preparedness plan. The fact is, with climate change, eventually most sites will have to turn to their preparedness plan eventually. Besides that, something as simple as a busted pipe can be devastating without a plan in place to respond swiftly. Many were hoping that FEMA would provide significant resources, but that was not necessarily the case for many. First, FEMA funds take time and can leave you waiting while your collection sits and rots. Most FEMA programs require that the institution front the cost and then apply for reimbursement, and require that the repaired damage then be insured. Many small museums cannot afford this. Preparing ahead of time is the safest and surest way to protect your resources. For that reason, FPAN has developed the Disasters and Museum Preparedness (DaMP) workshop, which highlights some of the easiest and most useful steps a heritage site can take to help protect their resources in the event of an emergency. If your heritage site is interested in learning more, please contact your local FPAN office. Even during the pandemic, we are able to provide this workshop virtually to those interested. We are currently at the end of hurricane season, but now is the time to start preparing for the 2021 hurricane season. 

Resources:

Natural Disaster Recovery Resources for Museums and Libraries: https://www.imls.gov/blog/2017/09/natural-disaster-recovery-resources-museums-and-libraries

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (Hurricane categories by wind speed):

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php

How Climate Change is Making Hurricanes More Dangerous (Yale Climate Connections): https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/07/how-climate-change-is-making-hurricanes-more-dangerous/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5bz-BRD-ARIsABjT4nhIafQ2O7YGrYpvtD9kEWy1lI8-3mtu1bA-O9ILw3vfyZ069eXTY74aAhuSEALw_wcB

Heritage Emergency and Response Training:

https://culturalrescue.si.edu/what-we-do/resilience/heritage-emergency-and-response-training-heart/

FPAN Zoom Into Archaeology: Heritage at Risk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FIHhXweE7k&t=5s