Hurricane in Mississippi

1
Hurricane in Mississippi

• Assessment of damage to
• library, archival and museum collections
• September 22-29, 2005

2
Hurricane Katrina

• On August 29th, 2005 Katrina came ashore at the
  Louisiana and Mississippi boarder subjecting the
  entire Mississippi coast and two thirds of the
  state to the strong right side of the storm.

3
Two phases of the storm

• A tsunami like storm surge of from 26 to 38 feet
  came ashore and moved up to 6 miles inland.
• Hurricane winds, rains and tornados swept further
  inland over two thirds of the state of
  Mississippi.

4
On the Mississippi coast

• The storm surge obliterated beach front
  neighborhoods leaving only steel frames of modern
  buildings while wooden building constructions
  were smashed into piles of debris.

5

• Four weeks after the storm cities such as
  Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Bay St. Louis
  remained without water and electricity. The town
  of Pass Christian no longer exists.

6
(sidebar)

• Throughout the Katrina and Rita events, New
  Orleans received complete and continuous news
  coverage. Although relatively unreported,
  destruction in towns and cities in Mississippi
  and displacement of residents was as catastrophic
  as it was in New Orleans.

7
Damage to Collections

• Throughout the Gulf region over 100 school
  libraries and 25 public libraries were destroyed
  or damaged beyond repair.
• The fate of Mississippi collections ranged from
  complete loss to survival without damage. Much
  archival material in the South remains in private
  family collections and the extent of loss in that
  category remains unknowable. Accumulated
  assessments of damage to Mississippi library,
  museum and archives tells a good news/bad news
  story.

8
Of 13 collections assessed in 10 cities

• 2 no longer exist
• 3 survived with major damage and loss
• 8 survived damaged
• (view of Biloxi Public Library)

9
We anticipated mold damage
10
Contexts of Damage due to Mold

• Housing or
• enclosure factors
• Building factors
• Behavioral factors
• General factors

11
Housing or enclosure factors

• Exhibit cases and Tyvek envelopes nurtured mold
• Glazed wall mounted materials were at risk
• Polyethylene sheets, used as protective
  coverings, nurtured mold

12
Building factors

• Plywood board-up remained in place inhibiting
  building ventilation
• After four weeks, indoor ecologies mirror outdoor
  except for the dark and stillness indoors.

13
Behavioral factors

• An inappropriate germ theory of mold
  propagation was applied suggesting that isolation
  or discard of molded materials is needed and that
  ventilation will spread mold growth

14
General factors

• Evidentially salt water inhibits mold activity
• Mold presents a long term risk to collections
  blooming as passive drying is completed

15
What we did

• Listened to stories of the hurricane
• Demonstrated collection stabilization and methods
  for arrest of mold.
• Produced assessments of prevailing conditions and
  recommended actions
• Composed and advanced NEH emergency fundings. (4
  of 4 approved)
• Proposed CALM response services.

16
What we did

• Listen to the stories and experiences

17
Resilient Mississippians
18
Collection stabilization

• Demonstrated drying of archives and safe handling
  of mold.
• Interacted with salvage companies to prevent
  damaging collection evacuations

19
Composed NEH requests

• Described prevailing conditions and risks
• Detailed recommended actions
• walked requests to the NEH division of
  Preservation and Access
• Debriefed to other teams and coordinators

20
Future response capacity

• Proposal to integrate AIC and training programs
  to respond more effectively.
• Proposed longer on-site presence of conservators
• Proposed more co-ordination between on-site
  efforts

21
AASLH assessment team 01/MS

• Ashley Barnett, Driver, Fire Rescue, Burnet, TX
• Joy Barnett, Dispatcher, Texas Association of
  Museums
• Randy Silverman, Conservator, University of Utah
• Gary Frost, Conservator, University of Iowa

22
acknowledgements

• American Association for State and Local History
• Mississippi Department of Archives and History
• NEH Division of Preservation and Access

23
Off-shore Casino Downtown Biloxi
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More Casinos
25
Piano in a tree