In spring 2008, the Governor of Illinois declared twenty-four Illinois counties to be disaster areas and another twenty-five as "impacted" by flooding of the Mississippi, Illinois, Vermilion, and other rivers. Losses to agriculture alone stood at $1.3 billion and some Illinois communities were almost completely evacuated.

Heritage and cultural organizations such as public libraries, historical and genealogical societies, and small museums need professional assistance in planning for water emergencies such as the flooding in Illinois brought on by severe weather.

To help cope with the dangers created by raging rivers and disastrous acts of nature, the Illinois Humanities Council is collaborating with Illinois Heritage association to present "Coping with H2O Emergencies," a series of one-day technical assistance workshops across Illinois.

These workshops will help institutions contend with water-related emergencies by discussing the steps necessary for heritage- and cultural-based organizations to deal directly with cultural resources threatened as a result of flooding by overflowing rivers, fire-extinguishing efforts, and/or overly humid environments.

Registration is required. $15 Fee.
Participants must register by contacting the Illinois Heritage Association at 217.359.5600 or by email at plmxiha@shout.net. Participants will be required to cover a small fee of $15, which will support refreshments

Funding for the "Coping with H2O Emergencies" workshop series has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities and State Farm. For more information about this workshop series, please contact the Illinois Heritage Association at 217.359.5600.