For Immediate Release – To be used and modified as needed

Contact Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438

Fax (805) 568-1178

Flooding and Water Damage on the Lower Mississippi: Saving Art and
Memorabilia:
3 Tips To Dry Things Out
5 Tips For What To Do After Damage

Flood waters are rising and water damage is eminent as you read this on March
11, 2010. The Mississippi is flooding a wide flood plain along most of the length
but concentrated from Cedar Rapids to St. Louis according to the U.S.
Department of the Interior/ U.S. Geological Survey
http://la.water.usgs.gov/default.html

When you are confronted with water damage to your treasured family valuables
consider calling for help. “I got a call recently from an office manager that had
four inches of water in the office… piles of valuable office décor, framed items
and company memorabilia had gotten wet. Timing was critical for getting the
things dried out,” said Scott M. Haskins, author of How To Save your Stuff From
A Disaster” and Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Expert, “in order to not
let mold take over.”

Here are 3 very important Tips to follow:

1. Getting the items away from the wetness!

2. Drying out wet items means getting the air moving with fans and
3. Do NOT turn up the heat! It will accelerate the mold growth.

“Flood relief community volunteer Matt Steward reported from another flood
location, ““When we got there to help people, all we were asked to do is look for
people’s memorabilia floating in the water.”

After everyone is safe and accounted for, the biggest reason people mourn after
a disaster is for the lost memories, things that can’t be paid for by insurance:
personal keepsakes and beloved memorabilia.

For those in the path of the storm, the horse is already out of the barn, referring
to pre-damage preparation. As you read this, tens of thousands of Americans are
cleaning up and searching for cherished items of family memories that have been
damaged and seem ruined. The question -- “What to do now?” -- has an answer.
Knowing what to do after a disaster has struck may allow you to save your most
cherished possessions. If it’s valuable either financially, historically or
emotionally, don’t throw it out just because it’s stained, moldy, wet or torn. There
may be a way to get help.

Five tips on saving treasured items and heirlooms from a disaster --

www.saveyourstuff.com. Some tips from the site for handling your wet items
include:

1. Cradle wet papers, documents and light books in a strong paper towel.
Don’t handle them with your fingers: They will rip.
2. Putting muddy, dirty photos in a clean tray (tub) of water will keep them
stable for days until you can get help or coaching.
3. Blot, blot, blot. Don’t scrub and rub on your books, photos and
collectables.
4. Perhaps the best two items you can get after you’ve had water damage is
a big fan to move the air and as many paper towels as you can find.
5. Call for an experts help!

“Have you had books ruined by mold or photos that have stuck together in a
pile?” Haskins asks. “Perhaps you have had frames bashed, a painting that was
torn or that is now flaking? I recently visited yesterday with a woman who thought
she suffered a total loss from damage to her collectibles over six months
previously. She was still an emotional basket case. Upon inspection, all was not
lost, her insurance company would pay to have them repaired and in the end,
they could be returned to near perfect condition. With expert assistance and
advice, it doesn’t have to be like that.”

“Stay hopeful and find help,” Haskins says to those who have suffered damage.
“Much can be done to recoup your important items, even if it’s a long time after
the fact.”

The cost? “Yes, that’s a major factor,” Haskins says. “That’s why I try to empower
the homeowner to do as much as possible. Most of the items to be retrieved
have no monetary value. Every dollar has to stretch a long way, especially in
times of crisis.”

Scott M. Haskins, has worked in both Europe and the U.S. as a professional
conservator for the last 35 years. He routinely treats and saves items damaged
by water and mold. He consults with people on innumerable other accidents. He
works with the general public, historical societies, museums, corporations,
private collectors, art galleries, state governments and the federal government.
He is an expert witness in the Los Angeles Supreme Court system and on the
part of the federal government regarding public art issues. He has done
consultation work for Pope John Paul’s family, the Shroud of Turin project and
the Getty Conservation Institute among many others. He also wrote a booklet,
“How To Respond After An Earthquake” of which 500,000 were distributed by the
Bank of America Corp. in Los Angeles after the Northridge Earthquake.