New York county needs millions to replace lost documents

If a company records its data exclusively on paper files and a storm hits, that information could be lost forever. If the business leader has any hope of recovering, he or she must locate lost documents or try to replace the missing information. Unless the business used conversion services to host its documents online, this process may be impossible.

Leaders in Tioga County, New York, were faced with this challenge last year after a large flood in 2011, according to Your News Now. Because recovery was such a tough feat, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently donated $3.4 million in disaster aid, the source detailed.

The news source reported that about 3,000 cartons of files, 1,000 ledgers and more than 500 engineering drawings were lost or irreparably damaged in the flood. The money given by FEMA will be used to work on replacing the documents.

Sometimes, however, recovery is impossible. This can be particularly detrimental if the records lost include important historical pieces that can't be replaced or client data that could leave an individual's personal information vulnerable if it falls into the wrong hands. Yet if the information is present online, the loss of the physical file would likely not be damaging to the organization.

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