Flood victims - We can help save your wet or muddy photos and albums, but we need to hurry.
In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, victims are finding their precious boxes of photographs and memories flooded or soaked in their sheds, basements, and homes. It's hard to think about photographs when you're trying to survive the aftermath. Let our volunteers help before it's too late to save them.
Juls Buckman, photographer and owner of Buckman Studios in Horseshoe, NC, saves a stack of wet photos pulled from a flooded shed.
Why the rush?
Wet photos will bond to glass or plastic in frames, cardboard, other photos, album pages, or just about anything as they begin to dry, which may destroy the image. Quick action is needed. If you can't separate them and lay them out to dry yourself, or you don’t currently have the space, you can:
Rinse them, stack them between wax paper layers, and freeze them to work on later, or
Let us do it for you.
Juls Buckman
I'm a seasoned photographic artist, at BuckmanStudios.com, sought after for my creative approach to portraiture and my exceptional ability to make everyone feel at ease.
As a highly trained photographer with years of experience, I understand what’s at stake when photographs get wet. I know what to do, and I’m here to help you save your precious memories.
Email me at HelenePhotoHelp@gmail.com.
Vicki Entreken
I research and write about genealogy, orphaned heirlooms, preserving family histories, digitizing photographs, and archiving family collections at SecretBoxes.org.
Originally from Florida, I’m familiar with storms, but the flooding we’ve seen here in Hendersonville and surrounding areas has been unfathomable.
If you have photographs, family albums, journals, or letters at risk of being destroyed by water, mud, or mold, I’m here.
Don’t wait to ask for help. Email me at SavingWNCmemories@gmail.com.
Juls and Vicki in action…
Have time to save them yourself? Here's what you can do.
If your photos are wet: Remove photos from frames, albums, or enclosures. If photos are stuck together, try gently separating them while they're still wet. Do not leave photos touching glass or each other because the image may adhere to other surfaces as they dry.
If photos are muddy or visibly dirty: You can rinse them in clean water. Wear gloves to protect your hands.
Dry photos by: Laying them face up on a clean, absorbent surface like a paper towel, blotter, or unprinted newsprint. Change paper towels every one to two hours. Place them in a well-ventilated area, like a room with a dehumidifier or outside in the shade. You can use fans to speed up drying.
* If you hang photos on a clothesline, make sure the clips only touch the edges of the photos and avoid sunlight and wind which will cause hanging photos to curl.
If you can't dry the photos now: You can freeze them. Rinse them first, stack them between wax paper layers, and store them in as area of the freezer where they won't be banged around.
Don’t let Helene steal your memories. Let’s save them while we still can!