MOORE, Okla.-CUs in the path of the deadly tornadoes that swept through the Plains last week are now focused on rebuilding their communities, with the majority of CUs fortunate to escape with only minor damage, CUNA Mutual Group reports.
The Moore, Okla., office of Tinker FCU, however, was not so lucky, as a tornado packing 210-mile-per-hour winds
The storms that killed 24 people at last report did cause numerous credit union branches across the affected states to shut down temporarily due to loss of power and also to prepare for the storms' arrivals.
"We made contact with 57 credit unions in four states that were in the storms' paths," said Phil Tschudy, media relations manager at CUNA Mutual Group, Madison, Wis. "Other than the Tinker branch in Moore, which was a terrible loss, there is minimal damage everywhere else. We didn't wait for CUs to contact us. We are always proactive and reached out to them to see what we could do."
Tinker FCU said that it plans to rebuild on the same site of the destroyed office, where more than 20 people safely rode out the twister in the CU's vault, the only thing left standing from that building. While the credit union plans to rebuild, the focus first is on its members.
Reaching Out To Members
The $3-billion CU is using mapping software that is integrated with its member database to help determine which members were in the direct path of the tornado and could need the most help. It is sending e-mail messages, placing targeted banner messages on its home banking site, and is simply finding any way it can to reach out to those that could be in need.
Matthew Stratton, SVP of marketing, said TFCU's early estimates are between 3,500 to 5,000 members were affected. He added that more than 20 employees were impacted, with four losing their homes. Tinker is offering emergency low-interest loans. "The employees who lost their branch are being reassigned to other offices."
The office of FAA CU just down the road from the Tinker branch was not harmed. But a lot of members and a few employees were not as fortunate, said Alison Wolf, VP of marketing at FAA. "Some of our staff member's homes are completely gone, and a lot of members need our help. We have 0% loans, are matching Red Cross donations up to a total of $2,500, and are reaching out to as many people as we can to help them pick up the pieces and get on with their lives."
The Texas CU League, which is in the process of merging with the Oklahoma CU League, reported that at least 26 credit union employees at Oklahoma CUs were personally affected by the tornadoes. The Texas CU foundation and the Oklahoma CU Foundation are working together to provide assistance to those employees, as well as to members.
Gary Jones, president of the CU Association of Oklahoma, pointed out that a lot of information about the effects of the storms is still being gathered. "We are reaching out to credit unions, many of which are in the middle of helping members and staff recover. Contacting their league is likely not high on their list of priorities now."
WHERE TO SEND FUNDS
Credit unions wishing to help victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes can send donations to:
Credit Union Association of Oklahoma
631 E. Hill Street Oklahoma City, OK 73105
