How to Protect Family Photos in case of Fire or Flood

Jan 13

It seems like there are so many natural disasters in the world right now. Whether it’s hurricanes (which we are used to, here in Florida) hitting the mountains, out of control wildfires, or snowstorms where it normally doesn’t snow, one thing is for sure. The weather is weathering and there’s not much we can do to stop it. One thing that we CAN do is take the steps to protect our most cherished items. Most families have a go-bag or emergency plan if their house catches fire. That might include important documents, heirloom jewelry and/or medicine. I want to share with you how to protect your family photos in case of fire or flood. No emergency plan will be perfect, but I want you to be able to take the steps BEFORE something happens, so that your most cherished memories - your family’s legacy - is protected. Protecting your family photos before an emergency happens requires action NOW. I’ve broken down my top tips into actionable items so that you can get to work on protecting your family photographs today.

1. Create Digital Backups of Your Photos

Why It’s Important: Digitizing your printed family photographs ensures that even if physical copies are damaged or lost, you’ll have a secure copy. Scanning old photos and creating backups in digital formats (JPEG, TIFF, etc.) allows for easy sharing, storage, and access. This is especially important for anything printed before the creation of digital images. Anything from your childhood (or even part of your adulthood depending on your age. Elder millennials and Gen X, I’m talking to you) and earlier needs to be digitized for safe keeping.
Action Steps: Use a scanner or smartphone app to digitize physical photos. Then, store them on cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud. It’s also wise to have external hard drives or USB drives for extra backup. Overwhelmed by the process? Hire someone like Jacksonville Organizer or Miss Freddy to do it for you. If you are going to DIY this step, make sure you get a high resolution scanner like this one to preserve the highest quality copy of your printed photographs that you can.

2. Store Physical Photos in a Safe Place

Why It’s Important: Physical photos can degrade over time, especially if they are not stored properly. Keeping them in a safe, climate-controlled environment can help prevent damage from heat, humidity, and light exposure.
Action Steps: Store family photos in archival-quality photo boxes, albums, or acid-free containers. Ensure they are kept in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight and moisture, such as in a fireproof safe or safe deposit box. If you have one designated place to store these photographs, it will make it easier to grab them all at once if an emergency occurs.

3. Use a Fireproof or Waterproof Safe

Why It’s Important: Disasters like fires, floods, or water damage can ruin irreplaceable photographs. A fireproof or waterproof safe provides an extra layer of protection for both physical and digital photo backups.
Action Steps: Invest in a high-quality, fireproof and waterproof safe that is large enough to hold both physical photos and digital storage devices (USBs, external hard drives). Be sure the safe is rated for both fire and water protection.

4. Create a Family Photo Archive on an External Hard Drive and Cloud Storage

Why It’s Important: Physical backups of digital images, such as on external hard drives, can also be a great way to preserve family photographs. These media are more durable than paper and can be stored in multiple locations for added security. In addition to a physical EHD (external hard drive), make sure all of your digital photos are backed up on the cloud. Programs like iCloud, Amazon Photos and Dropbox provide a safe place to store all of your digital images.
Action Steps: Organize all of your digital images and upload them to an external hard drive. Label them carefully and store them in a cool, dry location. Create multiple copies and store them in different places, such as in a home safe and with a trusted relative or friend. Remember to also upload those digital images to a cloud based storage service. If this process seems overwhelming, that’s because it can be! Investing in a course from Miss Freddy or hiring her team to do it for you can bring you peace of mind and take this big project off of your plate.

5. Create a List of Important Items and Store it with your Important Documents

Why It’s Important: Keeping track of all of your photographs can be daunting! You’re bound do have some framed and hanging on your walls. Some in frames around the house. Photo albums stored in an easy access place for your family to look at them. EHD and printed photos stored in your safe. During an emergency, time is of the essence! The quicker your can secure your home and leave for safety, the better. If you have an itemized list of every photographic item that is important to you that you can easily and quickly reference during an emergency, you’ll be able to collect all of your important photographs in a heartbeat. If you don’t care about keeping printed albums and framed prints (because you scanned them all and have a digital backup of everything) then your list will be short. On the other hand, if you have invested in heirloom quality frames, albums and have vintage original family photographs, you may need to do a bit of collecting around the house.
Action Steps: Think about all of your printed photographs and write down anything that you would be devastated to loose. Make a list of what it is and it’s location, as well as the information for your EHD’s and printed photographs. Print out a copy and keep it on top of your important documents so that you can reference it in an emergency. Also keep a digital version of your list on your phone, in case the printed copy goes missing.

No one wants to be caught by surprise by a natural disaster or fire in their home. Taking the time to preserve and organize your family photographs now, can save you a world of heartache later. By sharing my top tips with you on how to protect your family photos in case of fire or flood, I hope that you are better protected should an emergency hit. Protecting your cherished family photographs - heirlooms that tell the legacy of your family - is so important. Make it a goal for 2025 to get your photographs in order!