BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-Dennis Dollar and Kirk Cuevas of Dollar Associates, headquartered in Birmingham, Ala. reported that all of their family, many down in Gulfport, Miss., were present and accounted for. Both Dollar and Cuevas were out of town on business when Hurricane Katrina hit. Where their offices are located in Birmingham is about 250 miles away from the water, but both still have family in the Gulfport area, which was one of the hardest hit. Dollar talked to Credit Union Times from the darkness of his Birmingham office, the power having been knocked out by the storm. He was able to catch a flight into Atlanta then drive home; Georgia experienced significant tornado activity yesterday, according to reports. "There were a few gusts of wind that made me put both hands on the wheel," Dollar admitted. He said travel down to the Gulfport area was "impossible," but his brother-in-law may attempt the trip out of there to Dollar's home, he said. One of his wife's family members has a home on stilts meant to avoid flooding and still had six feet of water in the first floor. Dollar has a lot of credit union friends in the Gulfport area, having served as CEO of Gulfport VA Federal Credit Union prior to being named to the NCUA Board. He also represented the area in the state legislature. Dollar recalled he had known people who died when Camille hit the area in 1969 when he was still in high school. He said Katrina seemed worse as far as property damage but he hoped loss of life would not be as bad. Cuevas spoke to Credit Union Times while waiting in an airport for a flight from New York into Birmingham or at least Atlanta. He had been able to contact his wife in Birmingham and confirmed she and other family members were safe. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have apparently lost their loved ones," Cuevas said.

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