adminOn Monday, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for all counties in Florida in preparation for the onslaught of Hurricane Irma.
“This storm is bigger, faster and stronger than Hurricane Andrew,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at a press briefing, and a mandatory evacuation for residents of the Florida Keys began at 7 p.m. yesterday. By Friday morning, Scott said 7,000 National Guard members will be reporting for duty across the state to assist in preparation for Irma.
Yesterday, Drew J. Breakspear, commissioner of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, issued a proclamation to authorize state, national, and federally chartered financial institutions affected by Irma to close or remain closed until emergency conditions no longer exist.
Barry Lynch, LABARRE ASSOCIATES, INC., who has assisted credit unions in Louisiana after major storm events, shared some lessons learned when preparing for a hurricane. Some of the key points include:
- Keep your cell phone dry at all costs
- Don’t plug in your computer without using a surge protector
- Text impacted employees the FEMA number for the disaster at hand and have them call the FEMA Help line at 800.621.3362 – as soon as possible – even if they are stranded or in a shelter. Download the FEMA app.
- Have time sheets prepared and payroll ready before the storm hits.
For preparation documents, after storm check list, temporary branch information, and rebuilding guide, go to LSCU Disaster Recovery Resources.
Let members and staff know to report price gouging. Call the hotline at: (866) 9-NO-SCAM. To report price gouging.
LSCU will be providing updates on credit union closings at www.lscu.coop. To provide status updates to the LSCU click here and email to CUStatus@lscu.coop. For updates from the NCUA, read more here.
