Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Resources

In addition to their terrible human and economic costs, disasters can also wreak havoc on historic properties. A number of online resources provide guidance on preparing for and recovering from disasters.

South Carolina Emergency Management Division 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Integrating Historic Property and Cultural Resource Considerations into Hazard Mitigation Planning: State and Local Mitigation Planning How-To Guide (PDF)

Repairing Your Flooded Home, a guide prepared by FEMA and the American Red Cross (PDF)

Before and After Disasters: Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions, a joint effort of FEMA and Heritage Preservation (PDF)

The website for Heritage Preservation’s Heritage Emergency National Task Force includes numerous resources intended for cultural heritage institutions and the general public.

The National Center for Preservation Training and Technology has a series of blog posts about preparing historic sites for potential natural disasters

Disaster Planning for Florida’s Historic Resources, a comprehensive manual for integrating historic preservation into emergency management (PDF).

The website of the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office includes After the Flood: Rehabilitating Historic Resources and After the Flood: Rebuilding Communities Through Historic Preservation.

The website of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office includes links to multiple information sheets to assist historic property owners in recovering from natural disasters. 

The National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) maintains a Disaster Preparedness and Recovery webpage.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s publications include the Treatment of Flood Damaged Older and Historic Buildings (FREE) and Hurricane Readiness Guide for Owners and Managers of Historic Resources ($6.00). National Trust publications can be ordered at www.preservationbooks.org.  The National Trust also provides a number of helpful resource guides for disaster preparedness, planning and response on their website.

The Crisis Handbook – A Guide to Community Action, published by Preservation Pennsylvania, provides helpful advice for responding to a preservation emergency.