PLEASANTON, Calif.–Credit unions and their members across Northern California have been dealing with power outages as Pacific Gas & Electric has been turning off electricity in areas where there are high winds in order to head off sparking wildfires should lines go down.
The power outages have meant certain branches and ATMs are out of order unless backup power is available.
Among the credit unions affected is Patelco Credit Union, which has 36 branches in Northern California and more than 350,000 members.
Patelco has been reaching out to members urging them to keep cash on hand as not only can ATMs be down, but many retailers will be unable to process card transactions.
“We want to assure you that we have plans in place to keep our operations running in the event of a shutoff,” Patelco said in an email to members. “However, please note that some of our branches and ATMs may be closed if they’re in an area with no power.”
Patelco said it is posting updates on its website, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.
Advice For Members
In its email, Patelco urged its members to prepare and to:
- Have a full tank of gas in your vehicle
- Have cash on hand just in case
- Charge cellphones as well as any external chargers
- Know how to open a garage door manually
- Allow for extra commute time
- Check the PG&E website or local news sites for the latest updates
Patelco has also produced a video with additional advice here.