Speaking of the horrors of flooding, the tip sheet from Michigan State University has tips on salvaging momentos after a flood.

too many people give up and throw out paper or photos before trying to preserve damaged items. She recommends putting wet materials in a frost-free freezer.

“What that does is it buys you time – it stops the water absorption.Frost-free pulls moisture out of the content, so it will dry it and stop the mold growth. You want to save it, but you need to treat it and make sure it’s safe. The best thing to do is buy yourself time to make the right decision. So many people just throw stuff out thinking nothing can be done, and that’s the saddest thing.”