You say that you are not able to restore the old files. There are places that specialize in doing that. Unless the hard drive is badly damaged, the files written over, or the disc wiped clean, the files should still be there, even if they have been deleted.
Michael, thanks for explaining. Many of us probably don't know how drastically life for those in and around NYC and other metro areas has changed or the extent of limitations you are dealing with. I knew nothing of buildings being sealed.