The fluid-preserved specimen collections in the National Museum of Natural History, Division of Mammals, suffered significant damage due to the earthquake that occurred in August 2011. Even though our newly renovated fluid storage bunkers were equipped with earthquake bars, these bars came loose on many shelves, resulting in toppled and shattered jars of specimens littering aisles in each of the three rooms. Quick action and a well-organized recovery and reorganization effort resulted in minimal damage to our specimens, but we learned much in the process about improving layout and design, preventing occurrences such as this in the future, and, most importantly, considering first the safety and well-being of staff if and when a disaster strikes.