With Tropical Storm Erika tracking toward Florida and possibly the gulf, now is a good time for a credit union to know its disaster plan. The uncertainty of the storm means that credit unions should prepare for the worst this weekend and into early next week. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for the entire state. That encompasses every county in the state. One particular area of concern for the governor is the Tampa area that has been saturated lately with rain; which can lead to potential flooding from Erika.
The League has a disaster plan that you can see on our Disaster Resources webpage. This can be used as a template, if your credit union is struggling with a comprehensive disaster plan. If a credit union has significant damage during a disaster the League has a Disaster Hotline that credit unions can utilize to help communicate with their employees. We also have an area on our page that can house credit union branch updates so members can see what is open. If one of your branches sustains heavy damage, we have a mobile branch that can stay onsite until you get operations up and running. The webpage also has resources available from the NCUA.
If you have any problems with your disaster plan or need assistance in updating it, contact LSCU & Affiliates VP of Compliance Training and Information Bill Berg at 866.231.0545 ext. 1028. He can assist you and make recommendations. If your credit union ever sustains any damage during a disaster, the League will be in touch and will quickly offer help. The Southeastern Credit Union Foundation will also assist with disaster relief.