How to Protect Your Photos from Natural Disasters

Photographs are among our most treasured possessions, preserving precious moments in time.

Losing those memories amidst a natural disaster can be heartbreaking, exacerbating the sense of loss and displacement.

To prevent such a loss, it’s important to preserve and protect your photo collection before disaster strikes. Here’s how.

Ways to Protect Your Photos from Natural Disasters

Digitize Your Photos

We’re in an age where we can turn printed memories into digital formats with incredible ease. You can purchase a photo scanner for less than $100 and back up all your precious photos on the Cloud.

For basic photos, a scanner with 600 dpi (dots per inch) will suffice. If you have high-quality photos or want to preserve intricate details, aim for a scanner with 1200 dpi or higher.

You can also use a camera to digitize your physical photos.

Digital cameras work the best because they’re designed specifically for capturing high-quality photos, but smartphone cameras can also do a surprisingly good job with the right app.

One such app is the Google PhotoScan, which has features like glare reduction and automatic cropping.

Consider Professional Services

Credit: ScanMyPhotos

If you don’t know how to digitize photos on your own (or simply don’t have the equipment to do so), look for professional photo digitizing services.

These services are available in photo-printing stores, computer stores, and office supply chains.

You can also find online photo-digitizing services like ScanMyPhotos.com, where you can send physical photos through mail or other shipping methods for them to scan. But note that shipping photos carries inherent risks like potential loss or damage during transit.

Moreover, there are some sites that scam users by not returning photos after digitization and instead using them for malicious intent. Be extra cautious when using these online services. Do your research and read through reviews to ensure they’re trustworthy.

Don’t Rely on a Single Storage Location

Store the digitized versions of your photos in multiple locations, both online and offline. Follow Peter Krogh’s 3-2-1 rule for disaster recovery: have three copies of your data on two different media types (Cloud, hard drive, etc.) with one copy stored offsite.

Cloud storage services like iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox do a great job of storing photos online, but note that they often have storage limits and subscription fees to access all their full features.

You can use a private social media account to store your photos but there’s always the risk of locking yourself out of the account, so it isn’t the best option.

Alongside Cloud storage, transfer your photos to an external hard drive or USB flash drive.

Hard drives and flash drives don’t depend on internet connectivity so you can use them to access your photos on a computer anytime, anywhere. They can also be transported or stored in different physical locations so you can keep them outside your house if desired.

Seal Your Photos

Seal your physical photos in protective sleeves made of Mylar or polypropylene, double layers of plastic, or zip-lock bags. In this way, you’re protecting your photos from water damage and other environmental hazards that could degrade or destroy them.

As an extra cautionary measure, store the sealed photos in a water-tight container, a metal photo box, or a fireproof safe. Make sure to label the boxes to help you remember which box contains which photo album.

Store Your Photos in Higher Ground

When a flood occurs, the first places it affects are the low-lying ones; the garage, basement, and the first floor of a home.

To minimize the risk of water damage, store your photos in the attic, the upper shelf of a bedroom closet, or other elevated areas where they’re less likely to be exposed to floodwaters and other natural disasters.

Use Moisture Absorbers

Silver Spoon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When storing your photos in boxes or containers, throw in several moisture absorbers like silica gel packets or desiccant packs.

Moisture absorbers, as the name suggests, absorb water from the air, reducing condensation and eliminating musty odors.

This is helpful for photos and photo albums, which are often stored in one place for long periods and are at risk of damage from mold and mildew.

Consider Storage In an Offsite Location

If you have thousands of photos that you barely look at anymore, consider storing them at a secure off-site location like at a trusted friend’s house, a safe deposit box, or a climate-controlled storage facility.

The only downside to storing your photos at an offsite location is that you don’t have immediate access to the photos if you want to reminisce about old memories (or pull out embarrassing photos of your children to show your guests). This wouldn’t be a problem if you scanned the photos beforehand, though.

There’s also the fact that storage facilities cost money to use and may have access restrictions or retrieval fees.

How to Save Wet Photographs

Here’s what you should do if your photographs get wet due to flooding or other events:

• Blot the surface with a clean, absorbent cloth or paper towel. Don’t rub, as this could damage the surface of the photograph.
• If valuable photos are stuck together, don’t pull them apart as this can damage them. Instead, let them separate naturally as they dry. If the photos don’t separate by themselves, visit a professional conservator.
• Air dry the photos by placing them face-up on unprinted towels. You can also hang them on a clothesline using a clothespin at the corner of the photograph. However, keep the photos away from sunlight.

Final Thoughts

Photos capture moments of joy, milestones, and the faces of those we cherish the most. Losing them in a natural disaster can be gut-wrenching, especially if they’re the only copies you have.

The good news is that with a little planning and preparation, you can protect your photos from the unpredictable nature of natural disasters.

Digitizing your physical photos, sealing them in plastic, and storing them in proper storage containers are some of the ways you can safeguard your precious photos.