Widespread Flooding May Threaten Records

Once again nature is threatening large parts of the country. This time large areas, including the Midwest and California but other areas as well, are experiencing unprecedented flooding.  We remind Agency Records Officers that NARA posts records emergency information and other useful guidance in order for them to pass along this information to other agency personnel.

For advice and assistance on preparing before a flood happens, and records recovery operations afterward, please refer to the preservation section of our website. Here, you will find a section on preparation and several sections about records recovery processes.

Depending on the damage caused by flooding, it may be necessary for your agency to implement a records recovery operation. Water damage alone can cause major records recovery issues but often floodwaters contain a variety of contaminants as well. The web page also includes a template (.pdf) for contracting for records recovery services and a list of records recovery vendors. This list of vendors is provided by NARA for informational purposes. Inclusion on the list should not be viewed as an endorsement of the quality of the vendor’s services.

NARA staff members are available to provide additional information and guidance.

For advice on records recovery issues, please contact the Preservation Programs Division at preservation@nara.gov. Preservation staff monitors the email address and will respond accordingly.

For advice and assistance on other records management issues arising from the flooding, including to report on the emergency destruction of records under 36 CFR1229.10 or the loss of records under 36 CFR1230.14, please contact the appraisal archivist assigned to your agency. Please see this list of agency staff assignments and points of contact.

For advice and assistance on issues concerning classified national security information, please contact William (Bill) Cira of the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) on 202-357-5323 or via email at william.cira@nara.gov.