Source: New York Credit Union Association
After being buried under more than seven feet of snow, business as usual has finally returned to credit unions in Buffalo, N.Y.
"We were swamped at work on Monday," Marie T. Betti, president/CEO of the $41 million Western New York Federal Credit Union in West Seneca, N.Y., said. "Members were coming into the branch, of course, and the phone wouldn't stop ringing. It was a crazy day."
Western New York FCU had been closed since Nov. 18 when an epic snowstorm slammed Buffalo's eastern and southern suburbs, leaving more than a dozen people dead, according to national media reports.
This severe weather event was the second in less than a year when the Buffalo region and other parts of upstate New York were slammed by a huge storm in January that dumped more than two feet of snow.
The $72 million Buffalo Community Federal Credit Union in Buffalo, was also forced to close two of its three branches from Nov. 18 to Nov. 22, according to James P. Furman, president/CEO of the cooperative.
The $88 million Buffalo Metropolitan Federal Credit Union, also in Buffalo, had to close its sole branch in the city for two days last week, Jeanne Stadler, operations manager, said.
Furman and Stadler said their branches didn't experience any damages.
"The town was just brought to its knees," Furman said. "I've never seen anything like it. It was like a war zone in some places. People just abandoned their cars during the storm and got to where they could to try to get safety."
Ron McLean, SVP for credit union relations and chief marketing officer for the New York Credit Union Association in Albany, N.Y., said the association contacted about 30 credit unions that were affected by the snowstorm.
"We have been calling and emailing credit unions," McLean said Nov 25. "To date, no credit unions have requested assistance."
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