What’s Your Photo Evacuation Plan?
Save Your Photos Month 2025 – Week 3 Blog Post
Let’s imagine something no one wants to imagine.
You have five minutes to evacuate your home. A wildfire is approaching, or floodwaters are rising. You grab your phone. Your wallet. The kids. The pets.
Now—what about the photos?
For many of us, our printed photos, scrapbooks, and family videos are right up there with the irreplaceables. And yet, we rarely think about how to protect them until it’s too late.
This week during Save Your Photos Month, we’re focusing on disaster readiness and recovery. Because even when the worst happens, there’s still a lot you can do to rescue and rebuild your photo legacy.
This Week’s YouTube Live Sessions: Emergency & Recovery
Tuesday, Sept 16 @ 2 PM ET
Emergency Action Plans for Photo Safety
What you’ll learn:
How to prep a “grab-and-go” photo kit
What to prioritize (hint: not every box!)
How to protect photos from smoke, water, and mold
Friday, Sept 19 @ 2 PM ET
Restoring Damaged Photos After a Disaster
You’ll learn:
How to safely separate waterlogged prints
When to freeze vs. dry
What NOT to do if your photos are stuck together
👉 Register free at SaveYourPhotos.org
💡 Quick Tips: Wet Doesn’t Mean Lost
If your printed photos have been through a flood, burst pipe, or fire sprinkler leak, don’t panic—and don’t start peeling anything apart. Here’s what to do instead:
✔ Keep wet photos submerged in clean, cold water until you're ready to separate them
✔ If photos are stuck together, freeze them—this stops mold and buys you time
✔ Dry face-up, on clean paper in a cool, ventilated space
✔ Never rub the surface or apply heat
✔ Label everything as you go!
Create a Photo Emergency Kit
Here’s a great weekend project:
Put together a Photo Grab & Go Kit with these essentials:
A few archival-safe envelopes or photo boxes
Thumb drive or hard drive with your most treasured digital images
Sharpie & index cards for labeling quickly
Copies of key photos or documents
Instructions for what to grab first (if there’s time)
Even if you never use it, you’ll sleep better knowing it’s ready.
“Your photos tell your story. And even if the book gets soaked, the story doesn’t have to be lost.”
That’s what Save Your Photos Month is all about.
You can’t always prevent disaster. But you can be prepared. And when the unexpected happens, you’ll know what to do—and where to start.
I’ll be with you every step of the way.
With heart, hope, and backup drives,
Susan Wolak
Certified Photo Organizer + Mylio Consultant
SaveAMemory.photo
#SaveYourPhotosMonth2025 | #SYPM2025
