Southeast Braces for the Possibility of Rough Weather
By Joyce Moed, Reporter
NEW ORLEANS–As the southeast braces for the possibility of rough weather, other parts of the country recover from the memories Hurricane Gustav left behind after its journey.
“From the reports we have gotten back thus far, our credit unions are doing well,” said Jennifer Green, assistant vice president of the Louisiana Credit Union League.
Last week, Green reported “massive power outages throughout the southern part of the state.”
“And no one is able to get back into New Orleans yet,” she said at that time, adding “we’ve heard from several that have set up temporary operations at alternate locations and are back up and running.”
Alabama credit unions came through very well, too, said Adena Whitman Zamora, director of public and political affairs for the Alabama Credit Union League.
“We’ve had no reports of damage,” Zamora told the Credit Union Journal last week. “Everybody is well. We’re just waiting to hear how we can help our neighboring states.”
The Texas Credit Union League was also please to report that its credit unions faired well during Hurricane Gustav.
“ … We can report that they are solid, stable, and all serving their members,” Richard Grady, vice president, marketing, public relations, communications, said last week. “Some, along the east side of Texas, especially near the coast, did follow advisement by local officials in Hardin, Orange and Jefferson Counties to evacuate. But when Gustav turned and passed, they returned to the credit union, all finding no damage. Some are also assisting credit union members that are displaced by the storm by supporting shelters and helping financial needs through shared branching.”
Mississippi’s credit unions also faired “extremely well,” Charles Elliott, president and CEO of the Mississippi Credit Union Association, told CU Journal last week.
“We were spared. We still had water and a lot of businesses and homes flooded, but it was minimal when you put it in contrast with Katrina. We had just a little wind and water,” Elliott said. “We were prepared for the worst and had the best possible scenario.”
Perhaps this ease stems from what the credit unions and leagues learned through their experience with Hurricane Katrina.
“We weren’t prepared for Katrina,” Elliott said. “No one was. We also didn’t have the notice from Katrina. We just weren’t prepared like we were this time. We had everything in place.”
Elliott said that Mississippi credit unions learned many lessons from Katrina, including the importance of communication, having back-up systems in place and having alternative energy sources.
“Credit unions were able to get all their documents boxed in case of water,” Elliott said.
The Texas CU League learned a lot from Katrina’s fall-out.
“Communications and planning and lots of it were key,” said Dick Ensweiler, CEO and president of the Texas league.
The league developed its Disaster Preparation website from the lessons taught by Katrina, Ensweiler noted.
“We sent preparation documents to our membership early in 2006 and have done so each spring reminding them to pay close attention to what they and the members need,” he said. “We developed the web depository for copies of valuable documents should they need them after a disaster.”
The league also provided a series of links to sites of importance, such as the Red Cross, FEMA, the Texas Credit Union Department and NCUA.
“Lots changed since 2005,” Grady said. “Federal officials and governors working unison. State and local officials in constant communications. And staging of valuable and needed resources are just a few of the things that have changed.”
More CUs in Texas are also operating in a shared branching mode in case they–or their colleagues–need it, Grady added.
“I think that Katrina taught us all the importance of being prepared for anything, and it’s clear that our credit unions have worked hard to make sure they’re prepared,” Green said.
Zamora agreed.
“The lessons we learned from Katrina were preparation and communication,” she said. “We were lucky with Gustav, but there are three more storms out there threatening the state. I feel that we are much better prepared to handle them.”
At press time, the southeast coast was preparing for the possibility of Tropical Storms Hanna, Ike and/or Josephine, expected to be named hurricanes soon.
“At this time, the governor of Florida has issued a State of Emergency declaration for Florida's preparation for Hanna,” Amy Jowers, vice president of communications for the Florida Credit Union League, reported to CU Journal last week. “We have not yet received any word from Florida's Office of
Financial Regulation issuing a proclamation allowing financial institutions to remain closed until emergency conditions have passed. When/if that is issued, we will monitor our credit unions and their closings to ensure they have everything they need in order to assist with their staff's and members' well-being and safety.”
The Florida Credit Union League hosted an annual disaster workshop in May to provide strategies to its credit unions to assist them in preparing for the hurricane season. The league also provides its credit unions with two communication tools that will assist in distributing information in the event of a disaster to their members their credit union's staff.
“Each year we always have our credit unions update emergency contact information of CEOs and key staff members so we can reach them on their cell phone or other number other than the credit union's,” Jowers said. “We have been in constant contact with our credit unions providing them updates and any other regulatory communications coming out of the state or other federal agencies. We have contacts with state and federal regulatory agencies to help get cash and gas into affected areas for our credit unions to serve their members. We also have lists of which credit unions have mobile branches/atm units for use after the disaster hits. We also have five generators that can be shipped to credit unions in need as well as satellite phones that can be sent to credit unions if they need them.”
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