TAMPA, Fla.—If many Florida CUs are restocking ATMs and cash drawers this week it is not due only to Irma, according to one CEO.
Laida Garcia, CEO of floridacentral CU here, said that the days leading up to Irma’s landfall were panic-filled in the state, due in part to Hurricane Harvey that had just blasted Texas, and reports showing a Category 5 Hurricane Irma headed to the Sunshine State.
“I can tell you that before Irma’s arrival in Florida, we saw members taking out a lot of cash from the credit union, long lines at gas stations—with some, already out of gas, empty grocery shelves and no water to be found,” said Garcia, who Thursday told CUToday.info that power had yet to be restored to the CU’s main office. “Hurricanes are not new to Floridians, but I believe that the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston left most people in a panic.”
Power has been restored to the CU’s other locations, and generators are supplying power to the credit union’s IT area and main office, so business has not been disrupted, said Garcia.
“Neither my family nor our employees suffered any injuries or property damage, thank God. Our credit union offices lost power from Sunday through Tuesday, with the exception of our main office that is still without power,” said Garcia.
Since Hurricane Irma dropped to a category 2 by the time it hit Florida, there was not as much wind damage as Garcia and the rest of those in the state had braced for.
“The biggest issue everyone faced was uprooted trees falling on power lines and knocking out power. Nearly all of Florida was without power Sunday and Monday. Many areas are still without power and probably will remain that way for seven to 10 days,” she said. “There were some instances of a tree falling over and damaging homes. Regarding flooding, some coastal and low-lying areas did experience flooding—not so much from the storm surge, but from heavy rains. Water levels in some of our rivers are still extremely high and threaten to spill over onto Interstate 75. All in all, Floridians are feeling very fortunate that the storm’s intensity was a category 2 and not a 4 or 5, which would have had devastating consequences.”
Garcia said that all of Florida is proud of Governor Rick Scott, and the state’s government.
“They were proactive, prepared, and well organized to aid those in need. Our local media also did an excellent job of keeping everyone well informed,” she said.
To help members who may be experiencing hardships as a result of the storm, floridacentral is doing the following:
- Waiving foreign transaction fees for members using a non-floridacentral ATM, as well as waiving a number of other transaction fees
- Waiving fees for members who have a need to cash in their certificates of deposit early
- Instituted skip-a-pay on all loans and credit card payments due for September
- Offering hardship loans at reduced rates that can be made quickly and disbursed to any member in need
“Members who may experience difficulty in making their loan payments as a result of the storm will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and appropriate arrangements will be made,” said Garcia.