Widespread Flooding in Louisiana May Threaten Records

The recent flooding in Louisiana is the worst natural disaster since Super Storm Sandy in 2012. Numerous households and businesses have been severely impacted. 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 – including applicable staff in regional offices in the impacted area.

For advice and assistance on records recovery operations after flooding, please refer to the preservation section of our website. Here, you will find 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 the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) via email at ISOO@nara.gov or 202 357 5250.