With the approach of Hurricane Irma, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions offers credit unions with this checklist of the following precautions to consider:

• Make sure that your credit union has fresh supplies in your emergency supply kits including water, batteries, and that your employees are personally prepared.  Your staff is your most valuable asset and if they are pre-occupied with their personal disaster recovery, they will not be able to help you meet your members' needs.
• Cash is king during disasters. Consider increasing your cash order and ATMs should be fully stocked.
• Consider the likelihood of flooding in your area. Storm surge can approach 10-15 feet, which could mean flooding significantly inland, particularly if you are near ocean-connected waterways. Raising all computers and networking equipment above ground level may help reduce the risk of ruining workstations. Placing equipment on chairs or desks may be a good idea.
• If you are near the forecasted track of the storm, secure items outside the credit union that could become projectiles during the storm.
• Make sure your roof drains for flat roofs, and that gutters are free of debris.
• Park cars in safe areas.  If you are near the forecasted track of the storm, move repos away from trees to a wide-open parking lot. 
• Make sure your list of emergency contact numbers and staff information is correct and current. This should include your data processing vendor, IT support personnel, credit union with reciprocal processing agreements, etc. Include multiple numbers wherever possible (i.e. cellular, land lines, home numbers, etc.) to increase the likelihood of getting through. If primary communication lines are down, the LSCU provides a Disaster Hot Line that may be accessed 24/7 at www.lscu.coop for credit unions to provide updates for staff.
• Place plastic over equipment for protection if structural damage occurs. Simple garbage bags and some packing tape can help prevent water damage. Of course, be sure that the equipment is off and unplugged before covering with plastic to avoid overheating.
• If you have a generator, test it to ensure it working properly and that your fuel is topped off and your fuel re-suppler is ready.
• Ensure that your backup systems are working properly and take at least one copy of your server's data offsite on the last day before the storm hits.  Ensure that you have access to the CD-ROMs and other media required to install your core data processing apps from scratch. These, plus your backups should help to get your core systems operational in the event of a total loss.