PSCU, Credit Unions Shutter Ahead of Hurricane Idalia
Credit union closures are announced up and down the western coast of Florida.
Forecasters said they expect Hurricane Idalia to slam Florida’s west coast and portions of the panhandle sometime early Wednesday morning as a Category 3 storm with winds between 111-129 mph. In preparation for the storm, PSCU has closed its headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla., and several credit unions have closed or are closing dozens of branches early Tuesday; those branches will remain closed at least until Thursday.
The CUSO giant, PSCU, sent out communications to its credit union partners late Monday stating, “PSCU’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla., which is located in an evacuation zone, will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30. Leveraging our hybrid/remote workforce, our dispersed contact center footprint and our business continuity measures, PSCU will remain fully operational and our credit unions can expect business as usual during this time. Additionally, our data centers are located remotely in other areas of the country and no significant business impacts are expected.”
A spokesperson for PSCU said, “The usual hurricane preparations have been made to secure and safeguard the facilities.”
According to weather forecasters, St. Petersburg should expect damaging winds to arrive sometime late Tuesday evening.
In an email to CU Times Tuesday, the director of communications with the League of Southeastern Credit Unions and Affiliates (LSCU), Jeremy Burns, said LSCU has been actively reaching out to its member credit unions. “Throughout the week, we have been in contact with our members in and near the projected path of Hurricane Idalia, providing them with key information and resources on the storm and its potential impacts,” Burns said.
The $16.7 billion Suncoast Credit Union, headquartered in Tampa, Fla., announced it is closing eight branches in and around the evacuation zones at 3 p.m. EST Tuesday. And “due to wind, rain and possible flooding,” Suncoast will close 28 branches all day Wednesday and expects to open all branches by Thursday.
The $13.6 billion VyStar Credit Union, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., announced that it closed 14 branches along the west coast and panhandle of northeast Florida early Tuesday afternoon ahead of the storm.
For Wednesday, VyStar has taken preventative steps to close all its branches in Jacksonville, as well as all branches in Alachua, All Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties. VyStar announced it’s also closed its Georgia branches in Brunswick and Savannah, as well as other branches inland in Florida at least through Wednesday and anticipates the branches will reopen Thursday, Aug. 31.
Officials with the $570 million Floridacentral Credit Union, also headquartered in Tampa, said it closed all branches, its Member Services Contact Center and corporate offices at 12 p.m. EST Tuesday and that they will remain closed Wednesday. “Unless otherwise updated, we plan to reopen for normal operations on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023,” a statement read on the credit union’s website.
The Gainesville, Fla.-based Florida Credit Union ($2 billion in assets, 146,091 members) announced Tuesday morning, “For the safety of our members and staff, all Florida Credit Union locations and our Contact Center will close today at 6 p.m.” All Florida CU locations, except its branch in Deland, will remain closed Wednesday.