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Over the last few years, flooding has increased enough to spur scientists in the Northeast and elsewhere to ask if this paradigm is the “new normal.” Government officials, engineers and insurance companies are vested in this query, as its answer determines how they will need carry out their duties. Moreover, residents of zones that were previously considered dry havens are now advised to purchase flood insurance. And, of course, businesses are struggling with how to protect their assets, including crucial documents, from flooding.

Looking at a row of framed family portraits or framed certificates hung on the wall, it’s easy to assume those precious items are safe from damage. Certainly, framing documents and photographs protects them to some degree from fading, dust, and other forms of damage. However, even archival-quality framing can’t protect prized documents from water damage. If a flood, broken pipe, or excessive humidity has damaged your documents or photographs, read on for our primer on how to dry wet documents and pictures that are framed.

Isn’t it interesting how some relics of popular culture fall out of fashion, while others enjoy continued popularity among retro enthusiasts? Old 8-track tapes, for instance, are basically worthless, while vinyl record collections can retain their value for decades. Vinyl LPs can even gain value as time goes by – assuming, of course, they’re in good condition.

Officially, Oct. 13, 2012 is the International Day for Disaster Reduction. We at Polygon would like to commemorate this worldwide date of disaster awareness by outlining how business leaders can do their part to reduce disaster risk.

On Nov. 7, 1898, the New York Times reported that an enormous explosion had rocked the Capitol Building. A subterranean room exploded after a gas line had been left open. The damage was extensive. Even on upper stories, windows were blown out. Doors were knocked off their hinges. And water, smoke and fire damaged countless historical documents. One badly hit area: the library of the Supreme Court, where about 20,000 legal volumes were housed. Moreover, the records of the Supreme Court from 1792 to 1832 were rendered completely useless. As the Times reported, “The loss on the library and the records can scarcely be estimated in dollars and cents. A million dollars could not replace them, because many of them have no duplicates in existence.”