During a Disaster, Art is an Afterthought

The New York Times spent the weekend covering the aftermath of South Florida’s encounter with Hurricane Irma. As we reported before the storm, many art collectors were actively moving their works to storage—or had their art still stored during the off-season—to protect it from the storm.

But many others just didn’t think to take those actions as the Times discovered when they met Golden Beach’s Jeremy Alters:

When Mr. Alters called his insurer to file a claim, the company sent an art preservationist and a team of art movers to his home. The collection had survived the hurricane, but the hot, humid conditions posed a danger. Had he called sooner, the company told him, it would have moved the art out — at no charge — before the hurricane hit. “I forgot that they said they’d help with the art during a storm,” he said. “Now, I’m paying attention.”