Debbie Meekins is running First Community Bank in Santa Rosa while simultaneously taking steps to rebuild her own life after her home of 19 years went up in flames.
The Federal Reserve's nationwide preparedness plan for cash emergencies is being put to a unique test in Puerto Rico. Stocks are being replenished with daily flights, but the lack of power to ATMs and branches is contributing to reports of cash shortages.
Florida and Texas are normally major sources of mergers, but bankers in those states likely will take a break to assess damage from the hurricanes before returning to dealmaking.
Bankers in Florida and Texas are dusting off their disaster-recovery playbooks, which focus on retrieving customers' valuables, ensuring employee safety and minimizing the bank's own legal exposure.
Banks could be busy supplying credit to manufacturers, hotels, multifamily developers and other businesses that will be helping residents get their lives back on track after two fierce storms.
The agency has earmarked all funds from a Hurricane Harvey recovery package for direct relief, despite calls to get more bankers involved in the process. It remains to be seen how the agency will handle the cleanup for Hurricane Irma.
Texas bankers recovering from Hurricane Harvey are reflecting on their experiences, identifying what went right and what they could do better. Their views could prove useful to Florida bankers hurriedly preparing for the nation's next big hurricane.
