How To Prepare Your Home For Protecting Keepsakes During Storm Surges

Published on: 30 December 2024 Last Updated on: 31 December 2024

When you live in a storm surge-prone area like New Orleans, the safety of your home and cherished belongings is always a concern.

The city’s proximity to water makes it particularly vulnerable to extreme weather, including hurricanes and the accompanying storm surges. However, protecting keepsakes during storm surges is a major issue.

In this article, you will learn why how to protect your keepsakes during storm surges. Here, you will get five useful tips that are easy to follow.

However, before that, you will learn a few details about storm surges and what to do in such situations. Hence, to learn more, read on to the end of the article.

Staying Prepared Before Storm Surges

Generally, storm surges affect your building’s foundations. This happens due to high water piling because of tropical cyclones, which results in constant agitation in the building.

With time, it can result in complete demolition of homes and commercial buildings. Moreover, if the storm is bad enough, you need to evacuate and move inland for safety.

In such cases, you have to plan ahead for such possibilities. However, to save your valuables, you can keep large rubber storage containers. In those containers, you have to place your photos and mementos. This will help you take them while you evacuate the place.

Apart from that, you must have extra plastic storage containers to gather jewelry, mementos, and other photos. Also, try to place those containers in the attic if you get the news of an upcoming flood.

Additionally, you can also keep your necessary documents in a fire-proof safe. Moreover, check them to ensure that they are water-proof as well. This will prevent water from entering the safe it the building submerges in a flood.

On the other hand, you must also shut off your electricity at the circuit brakes. This will help your appliances from short circuits.

5 Tips For Protecting Keepsakes During Storm Surges

While securing your property is essential, safeguarding your irreplaceable keepsakes—like family photos, heirlooms, and old home movies—requires proactive steps.

The following are some essential tips for protecting keepsakes during storm surges:

1. Identify Valuable Keepsakes

The first step in protecting keepsakes during storm surges is to identify which items hold the most sentimental or practical value. For instance, family photos, handwritten letters, heirlooms, home videos, and important documents often top the list.

Generally, in New Orleans, homes may face repeated flooding risks. Hence, creating an inventory of these items ensures you know what to prioritize.

Therefore, you must take time to review albums, VHS tapes, film reels, and other family treasures. Moreover, once you identify your most valuable keepsakes, it becomes easier to plan their protection.

2. Store Keepsakes In Waterproof Containers

Generally, storm surges bring a high risk of water damage. Hence, you must always store your keepsakes in waterproof containers. Use sealed plastic bins, waterproof bags, or specialized storage boxes for delicate items like photographs and letters.

However, if you need extra protection, consider fireproof and waterproof safes to shield irreplaceable items from both water and heat.

For instance, in a flood-prone city like New Orleans, it’s important to seal containers properly. Also, store them away from low-lying areas.

3. Elevate Keepsakes Above Flood-Prone Areas

Elevation is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your keepsakes. In a city with a history of flooding, storing items in basements or on ground floors is risky. Instead, place keepsakes on higher shelves, upper floors, or in attics well above expected flood levels.

In fact, for long-term storage, elevated cabinets or specially designed storage units can provide peace of mind. Basically, they will prevent water damage during high-water events.

4. Digitize Important Items

One of the most effective ways to protect family memories is by digitizing them. For instance, you can scan photos and documents. Then, you must covert old VHS tapes or film reels. Thereby, you can create digital backups that can’t be harmed by water or storms.

I live in New Orleans, and using local digitization companies was a smart choice for me. Actually, these professionals understand the importance of preserving family memories in a city with a high risk of natural disasters.

Whether you need high-quality scanning for photos or video conversion services, these companies can help digitize your most treasured items while handling them with care.

In fact, once you digitize your files, you can store them securely in cloud storage. As a result, you can ensure they are accessible. Apart from that, you can protect them even if you lose the originals.

5. Create An Emergency Evacuation Plan

In the event of a major storm, you must have a clear evacuation plan. Moreover, you must include your most important keepsakes in your plan, both physical and digital.

Also, prepare a “go bag” with waterproof containers for physical items. Make sure to have a USB drive or external hard drive containing your new digital files.

Actually, if you prepare in advance, you can quickly grab what’s most important. Thereby, you can ensure your irreplaceable memories are safe. Additionally, cloud-stored backups of digitized items allow you to access them from anywhere. This helps even if you are displaced for an extended period.

Conclusion

If you follow these tips, protecting keepsakes during storm surges in New Orleans will not be a big problem. Basically, New Orleans has a unique geography and vulnerability to storm surges. Hence, protecting keepsakes is a critical part of disaster preparation.

Hence, start by identifying your valuable items. Then, store them securely in waterproof and elevated locations. After that, digitize them for long-term preservation. This way, by planning for emergencies, you can safeguard your cherished memories.

Don’t wait until a storm is approaching to take action. Start digitizing your family photos, videos, and documents today to ensure your memories are preserved and protected for generations to come. Preparing now means peace of mind later, no matter what the weather brings.

Do you have more suggestions for protecting keepsakes during storm surges? Please share your ideas and opinions in the comments section below.

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Ankita Tripathy

Ankita Tripathy loves to write about food and the Hallyu Wave in particular. During her free time, she enjoys looking at the sky or reading books while sipping a cup of hot coffee. Her favourite niches are food, music, lifestyle, travel, and Korean Pop music and drama.

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How You Can Update Your Home with Cream Color

While doing the interior décor, you desire for everything to be perfect. Therefore, you pay proper attention even to the tiniest details. Colors have a significant role in making the home look vibrant and pleasing. So, selecting appropriate colors is a bit of a daunting task. However, you often choose a cream color as a safer option. When you can not decide on anything, the cream is the best color that goes well with almost all designs and colors. Moreover, it helps create a classy look and never makes you down. It goes well with almost all themes, including countryside, rustic, vintage, etc. So, use this color to upgrade the interiors of your home. You will get desired results. What Feelings Cream Color Evoke? The cream color evokes a serene and clean feel that is inviting and warm. Cream color always looks good on a matte finish. So, expect it to have a soft feel. Nothing creates timeless appeal like the cream color for spaces like the dining area and living room. Tips to Update the Home using Cream Color Here are some clever tips for updating interiors with cream color: Cream Color Works Well in Even the Smallest Spaces The cream color looks great on the walls as it invokes an airy and light feeling full of warmth and depth. So, paint all walls, ceilings, and corners cream. Go for different variations of cream hue for a cozy layered feel with subtle lighting. Get Artsy If you feel the cream-colored walls are boring and make the interiors dull, liven up the space with something interesting. You can add wall décor items like posters, cream canvas prints, photos, etc. So, go for an oversized artwork or group of small art pieces showcasing your interests or precious memories. To add interest, add these pieces in stylish or vintage frames and keep color schemes well-coordinated to achieve desired results. Play with Pattern You might want to mix and match the colorful patterns but are afraid of clashing cacophony. If you have cream walls in the background, there are fewer chances of design dissonance. So, you can freely experiment with different patterns. For best results, unify all patterns to a single share element, such as shape, color, or theme. Try an Eye-Catching Mural If you do not want to cover all the walls with cream color, create a focal point by hanging a mural. It is easy to remove décor items, and you can apply them simply like wallpaper. Some murals feature outdoor photos of forests, beaches, tropics, or mountains. It will instantly bring magic to the home. So, look for one that best suits your personality and complements well with the interiors. Dress Up the Walls to Add Visual Interest Cream color walls offer a perfect backdrop to install open shelves. You can display accessories, artworks, or books on them. You can also use them as a storage solution. Cream walls prevent the interiors from feeling overwhelmed by décor elements. Instead, it highlights the items and creates a beautiful visual display. Introduce Natural Pops of Colour Add some wow factor to the cream color scheme by introducing floral patterns. From delicate fabrics to live foliage, a cream space can offer a perfect backdrop to boost pops of color coming with stunning flowers. In bright lighting, colors of nature reflect on cream walls and add depth to the shade. Incorporate Warm Shades with Furniture Pieces Select a cream wall color with warm undertones to enhance the bold accent color using furniture items and accessories. For instance, the rustic orange color of an armchair can lift the cream living room. The armchair stands out more with a cream color in the background. Place Colorful Throw Pillows If you have a cream-colored sofa in the room, highlight it using colorful throw pillows. It will instantly add color to the space and highlight the couch. You can also add throw pillows with floral patterns for more impact. How to Add Color to the Cream Interiors? Furniture items and accessories are the simplest way to incorporate color into cream interiors. The serene environment created by cream walls provides freedom to introduce a pattern and design without overwhelming the original plan. So, stop being shy and start experimenting using the safest color. Read Also: Ideas for Modern Flooring Designs for Home Improvement Plans Fix Your Home up This Summer With These Core Hacks Transform Your Garage into a Home Office 4 Baptism Decoration Ideas That Even the Holy Spirit Will Love

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The Best Way Of Keeping Stink Bugs Outside Your Home

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How To Prepare Your Home For Protecting Keepsakes During Storm Surges

Staying Prepared Before Storm Surges