Two men use shovels to move silt off the pavement.

Respond to a disaster

Information to help you respond to a disaster in an informed, calm, and timely way that focuses on stabilizing your damaged items and collections.

Contents

Flooded town street, a horse and cart stands in the floodwaters, and people are grouped outside a building.

What to do after a flood

Steps you can take to dry water-damaged precious personal and collection items. Water and mould can all badly damage collection materials. While a damaged item may never look new again, it is possible to preserve what remains if you act quickly.

Feature image at top of page: Detail from photo of men moving silt on Monorgan Road, Strathmore Park, Wellington, 1959. Evening Post Collection. Ref: EP/1959/1284-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington.

In case of emergency, act quickly

Contact us for advice in protecting your collections from damage caused by disaster.

Email — preservation@dia.govt.nz