Museum sustains storm damage; key artifacts moved to AMP

The NMI Museum of History and Culture sustained water and roof damage during Super Typhoon Sinlaku, forcing officials to relocate vulnerable collections—including a prized art archive—to American Memorial Park for safekeeping.

Executive director Leni Leon said floodwaters carrying red mud from Upper Chinatown entered exhibit areas and storage units after heavy rains overwhelmed drainage, while strong winds tore off roof ventilations and parts of a storage structure.

“We did have some red mud flowing into the museum exhibit as well as the storage units,” Leon said, noting that staff had elevated many items in advance, limiting losses. “Some ventilations on the roof did fly off…causing water to seep in and get on some artifacts.”

Despite the damage, Leon said the situation could have been worse, with most collections spared catastrophic loss.

The most heavily impacted area was a rear storage unit where the roof was blown off, exposing archival materials and artifacts to rain. The space housed research documents, textiles, artwork, and archaeological records—some now at risk of mold.

“There are some precious materials in there, including artwork, some cloth materials, and other documents that are pretty important to us,” Leon said.

With mold emerging within days of the storm, museum staff are racing to stabilize materials. Artifacts and documents are being transferred to climate-controlled spaces at American Memorial Park, where they are being dried, separated, and preserved.

“We are hopeful at this point,” Leon said. “Our next step is to pull everything out [then] transfer them over to the American Memorial Park…spread out the papers.”

Among the items being moved is the rare Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet collection—historic plates and artwork dating back to the 18th and early 19th centuries—considered one of the museum’s most valuable holdings.

Federal partners have stepped in to assist recovery efforts. Leon confirmed a meeting with principal deputy assistant Secretary for Insular, International, and Ocean Affairs William Hague and deputy assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Angel Demapan to discuss both immediate response and long-term mitigation.

“We discussed the potential needs for the museum to have emergency preventative measures activated, as well as long-term recovery measures,” he said.

Support from the National Park Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency is also in motion, including plans to deploy curators and specialists from Hawaii and Guam to assess salvageable items and begin restoration work. A professional conservator may be brought in later for delicate materials.

On the ground, federal staff are assisting with the physical transfer and preservation process, carefully drying documents and placing them in controlled environments to slow mold growth.

The museum’s recovery is complicated by the loss of its central air-conditioning system, which was blown away during the storm, and ongoing generator issues—leaving collections vulnerable to humidity.

Leon said the immediate threat remains mold, as staff work against time to prevent irreversible damage.

“We are currently doing everything we can and as fast as we can to prevent further loss to our collections,” he said