ALEXANDRIA, Va.-NCUA activated its Continuity of Operations Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in preparation for Hurricane Rita. The agency's Region IV staff is in the process of contacting all the credit unions in the area of potential impact, providing precautionary guidance. NCUA issued an advisory warning to the Texas and Louisiana credit unions in the potential path of Rita and urged them to review their contingency plans and business continuity procedures. NCUA wanted to ensure member access to their funds, according to a release. "Effective contingency plans are key for any eventuality where Hurricane Rita may interrupt credit union operations," NCUA Chairman JoAnn Johnson said. "We urge credit unions to make sure they are ready and to put into action their contingency of operation plans now in preparation for Hurricane Rita." The agency encouraged credit unions to take certain actions in the event of an evacuation, including: having an alternate site named and ready for potential activation; maintaining current system backup tapes and providing NCUA with all contact information; identifying preparing and deploying employees to take necessary data and/or equipment to the alternate site location; and testing back up systems for proper functioning. Credit union members impacted by either Hurricane Rita or Katrina should call NCUA's daily emergency toll-free hotline 1-800-827-6282 for assistance. The NCUA agency e-mail addresses by state are: * Alabama: [email protected] * Louisiana: [email protected] * Mississippi: [email protected] * Texas: [email protected] Additionally, credit union staff and members can use the free Emergency Financial First Aid Kit available online at: http://www.ncua.gov/ Publications/brochures/EmergencyFinancialFirstAidKit.pdf to document important personal family and financial information.