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Banks still rising to challenges from Hurricane Katrina.

Article Excerpt
Banks in the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina are back in business after facing numerous challenges and trying days following the storm. When banks opened, the lack of electricity and telecommunications made conducting normal banking business difficult.

None faced more challenges than The Peoples Bank with seven of the system's 17 banking branches destroyed. Inundated with six feet of water, Waveland, the Biloxi-based bank's newest branch, had only been open for 11 months and was among those knocked out of action. The Bay St. Louis branch had seven feet of water and the D'Iberville branch had 10 to 12 feet of water. There was nothing left but the vault in Pass Christian. The armored car delivery facility at the corner of Highways 49 and 90 was completely destroyed. The Long Beach and downtown Gulfport branches had only one and a half feet of water. Other branches had roof and minor damages.

"Wherever the storm came ashore, we had a bank branch," said Chevis C. Swetman, president. "I remember what Camille was like and Katrina was much worse."

He lived...

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