South Florida CUs recovering from Hurricane Wilma
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (10/26/05)--Many south Florida credit unions reopened today, but others remained closed as they continued to cope with damage from Hurricane Wilma.
Most of the closed credit unions were coping with the loss of power, but a few lacked communications and several reported to the Florida Credit Union League that offices had sustained serious damage. Among the credit unions hit hardest by Wilma was Sun CU, Hollywood, where the two-story main office was "destroyed" when the hurricane removed the roof and the second floor, according to Mark Ivester, the league's vice president of communications.
Ivester said Florida Power and Light Co. estimated it could take up to four weeks to fully restore power throughout the state.
Telecommunications were also affected, making it difficult for the league to obtain damage reports from credit unions. Meanwhile, many credit unions are struggling to communicate with employees and members.
Hurricane Wilma lacked the storm surge that proved devastating in New Orleans, Ivester said. However, Hurricane Wilma's final quadrant was unusually strong, meaning that parts of south Florida were hit by two waves of devastating Category 3 winds at the beginning and the end of Wilma's progress through the region.
The National Credit Union Foundation is working with the Florida League to assess the needs of impacted credit unions and will provide assistance from undesignated funds as needed.
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