HOUSTON — Scores of Texas credit unions sustained damage, some of it apparently extensive particularly in Galveston, from Hurricane Ike as other CUs began restoring a semblance of normal operations in makeshift sites amid a scene of widespread destruction in Galveston and coastal towns.
The NCUA in Washington said regulators still have not made contact with as many as 21 CUs in Louisiana and Texas, but of 179 CUs in the affected areas 103 were operational.
"We anticipate several more will either open today or Wednesday as power is restored to the Houston metro area," said John J. McKechnie, director of public and congressional affairs. "Galveston-area credit unions continue to evidence the most damage and difficulty in restoring operations."
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Though no mention was made of damage, on Monday the NCUA listed five CUs in Galveston, 10 in Beaumont and one in Bridge City, all communities hardest hit by the storm, with Bridge City having "90% of this low lying town severely flooded." The total 179 CUs affected by Ike have $12.7 billion in assets and serve 1.7 million members.
Richard Grady, vice president of marketing and public relations for the Texas Credit Union League, said he knew of at least two CUs, one a branch and the other a headquarters that were completely lost. The names of those two CUs were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, the Texas League and the National Credit Union Foundation though its on-line CUAid program, www.CUAid.coop, issued new appeals for disaster relief donations from the industry to support victims of the storm with more than $11,000 raised already.
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