Wrap all shelves in plastic, and tape the plastic down to hold it in place. If flooding occurs, or if your agency's primary facility is unusable, identify a temporary site or sites where agency functions can resume and records salvage operations can be started. Thereafter, mold and mildew develop rapidly. Because the disaster site will be extremely humid, salvage must be undertaken elsewhere. Cover floors or tables used as work areas with plastic sheeting, and move water-damaged records with extreme care.
Milk crates or similar ventilated plastic cartons are good carriers.
Do not try to separate stuck-together pages as long as they are saturated. When the pages are drier, paper towels may be placed between them to absorb water. Change the towels frequently, using fans to circulate air over damaged records. Vacuum freeze-drying is the best and quickest way of drying paper records, but it is expensive and requires professional assistance. Do not unroll wet microfilm, as this may cause the emulsion layer to separate from the base film.