Bummer! One thing you might consider is an online backup service. ibackup.com is just one I googled - $9.99/mo. for 10GB - not free but maybe worth it. You can find freebies as well but you get what you pay for. 

Other than that, I trust metal over plastic. I've found plenty of junked PCs with working hard drives and pulled data older than 8 years off them. I'd get a USB HD and use it only for backups and use online as a 2nd layer of defense. Unfortunately, I think we're nearing one of those science fiction scenarios where the failure of these machines is going to destroy more than our 3D assets :-(.

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken