Disaster Preparedness

Hurricanes, floods, and even tornadoes have become a regular—and increasingly frequent—part of life in Louisiana, affecting critical cultural infrastructure and threatening arts and humanities organizations statewide. In recent years the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities has taken an active role in helping cultural organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters. As part of this work the LEH has surveyed museums, libraries, historic sites, archives, tribal governments, and more to better understand what our partners need to mitigate against future disasters.

Thanks to support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, we have compiled the below resources to help cultural organizations in their emergency planning.

Disaster Preparedness and Response: A Resource Guide for Cultural Institutions

This guide includes an overview of national and local resources designed to help cultural institutions in disaster preparedness and response. It includes sections on the following:

• Readiness and Planning
• Response and Recovery
• Building an Emergency Network
• Sample documents, like emergency supplies list, staff emergency procedures, disaster planning 101 checklist, salvage priorities list, and site walkthrough checklists

Disaster Planning for Cultural Institutions: Virtual Workshops

Workshop 1: Readiness and Planning

This workshop covers disaster readiness and planning. Panelists review why the formal adoption of emergency policies and plans are essential to an organization’s long-term sustainability. Discover ways to make your disaster preparedness strategy a living document that builds accountability and helps your organization prepare before disaster strikes. This workshop was originally presented by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Louisiana Association of Museums on April 7, 2022.

Panelists

• Elaina Gregg, Emergency Programs Coordinator, Foundation for Advancement in Conservation
• Susan Zwerling, Core Document Verification Officer, American Alliance of Museums
• Emilie Gagnet Leumas, PhD, CA, CRM, Archives and Records Management Consultant, EGL Consultants, LLC

Workshop 2: Response and Recovery

This workshop covers emergency response and recovery. Panelists will discuss what should occur after disaster strikes and why having an emergency plan makes recovery more manageable. Panelists will also explore a variety of recovery resources available to cultural organizations. This workshop was originally presented by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Louisiana Association of Museums on May 17, 2022.

Panelists

• Lori Foley, Coordinator for the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, FEMA
• Rebecca Elder, Consultant, Rebecca Elder Cultural Heritage Preservation
• Misty Taylor-Pride, Collections and Exhibitions Manager, Hilliard Art Museum – UL Lafayette