Photos Matter After a Natural Disaster

Photos matter in the aftermath of disaster. With September being Save Your Photos Month and recent epic storms along the south of the US, the topic of preparedness is front and center yet again. The Flip-Pal team is committed helping people prepare for natural disasters and everyday accidents that could wipe out their photos.

Victims of hurricanes want their normal life back, but they’ve been forced to accept the reality that their entire life has changed. Photo recovery may not seem like a priority when the health, safety and infrastructure of an entire community have been decimated. However, when residents take a breath and look around at what remains of their homes and cars, the first thing they say is ‘I wish I had my photos.’

Our photos are our memory keepers. They act as placeholders in time and enrich our family histories with stories to be passed down to the next generation. Without them, details are easy to forget.

• Scan Your Photos NOW. Many of the residents who thought their possessions—including photos and documents—would be safe, were surprised at what was washed away. Put together a plan to scan all your precious photos and other documents (family history as well as legal documents) and get started on securing these items right away. The Save Your Photos Value Pack is the ideal solution.

• Get Organized. Whether you are preparing to secure your photos now, or working to recover them after a disaster, make sure you have a method of storing your digital files. This could be using folders or creating a special file naming convention. Your goal should be to quickly find the item you need.

• Perform Multiple Backups. It makes no sense to store your files on a USB flash drive if you then store it next to your computer or with other items that could be lost or damaged in a disaster. Secure your backup files in another location, such as a fire-proof safe, a safety deposit box or with another family member.

• Take Advantage of the Cloud. An even easier method of storing your digitized files is to use cloud storage sites such as Dropbox. You’ll always have access to them as long as you have a computer or a mobile device and an Internet connection.