On New Years Eve, 2022, radical indie comics publisher Silver Sprocket rang things in on a damp note. Their HQ, San Francisco, was slammed by rain, the second highest amount in the city’s recorded history. A torrent of that water made its way into the Silver Sprocket’s basement and inventory, endangering the art, zines and comics that make life worth living. “We had so many goals and projects in mind for the first half of the year that had to be put aside for rebuilding,” says Silver Sprocket’s Avi Ehrlich, “we are very eager to get back to the more creative and fun parts of championing badass indie comics.”
Caught off guard, Sprocket staff had to work quickly to protect their stock through the first leg of 2023. On top of ruining their basement, the movement of stock cluttered store and shipping spaces, imperiling even casual operations. “This threatened to be completely devastating to us and the roster of artists we publish by destroying all of our books,” says Ehrlich.
The hurried exercise brought with it a lot of lessons. As increasingly freakish weather continues to swamp California, and basements worldwide, it’s important to know what you can do to prepare your product or collections from the sudden fury of nature.
1. Elevate Books off the Floor
While you may be proud of the ever growing towers of books in your personal library, leaving these paper stalagmites in your inventory is a liability. Ehrlich says it is vital to keep books and shelves at least four inches off the floor or even non-record breaking rainfalls can easily dampen your goods.
“In our case we also had boxes piled on pallets which lifted them off the ground as well,” says Ehrlich. “The flooding did raise up to the bottom shelves and top of the pallet, but it was an extreme amount of water in our case.”
Ehrlich says to be extra mindful that new deliveries are stacked on two pallets or given extra height, instead of leaving them on the floor.
Obviously to be extra cautious, be prepared with pumps and hoses at your disposal so you aren’t left scrambling to the hardware store along with everyone else (Ehrlich managed to pluck the second last sump pump).
2. Pay Attention to Your Space
Anyone who’s experienced a flooded space knows how the hair on your neck raises when it starts to pour in sideways. Ehrlich now compulsively inspects the basement during any rainfall, on top of being more diligent about cleaning drainage pipes of muck or debris and alerting the landlord about potential leaks (fingers crossed yours cares, of course).
3. The Damage Doesn’t Stop When the Rain Does
Ehrlich did the best they could with a pump as waters poured in, but they were warned that a lot of damage can happen after the storm and that something doesn’t have to be drenched to be in danger.“
A fellow publisher let me know about their own flooding experience,” says Ehrlich. “They thought they were safe after their floodwaters receded, only to discover a few weeks later that the moisture in the air had caused all of their books to get moldy even if they weren’t directly in the standing water.”
Books, wooden furniture and trash can creep with mould in a short time, meaning it is in your best interest to remove the books from the flooded space entirely as the space is repaired. “Excess humidity on its own can still cause damage even without standing water,” says Ehrlich. “We set up a bunch of fans and got a giant industrial dehumidifier that we’ve emptied gallons of water from every morning.”
Be mindful of your own health, of course, because any spores that can ruin a book can do damage to your lungs as well. Wear a mask and gloves in a flooded space, remove any soiled items and be vigilant about unpleasant stinks.
4. Call in the Cavalry
Rapidly relocating shelves of heavy books while the heavens fall from the sky is a daunting task, but you’d be surprised how quickly friends and fans will rally to help. The Sprocket team spent New Year’s Day salvaging their work. Early that morning, Ehrlich posted to social media about the situation.
“Within about 30 minutes we had 15 people, making a fire-line, passing books to each other up the steps and to the back of the shop,” says Ehrlich. “It was truly beautiful and humbling to see our community drop whatever they were doing and show up for us.”
Weather is getting weirder. A heating planet is only making it worse. And your pocket of this planet is enriched by amazing books, zines and comics. Ehrlich feels humbled by climate change, but the experience has left Silver Sprocket better prepared for the next time.
