PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Dec. 12, 2018 – Regions Bank on Wednesday announced the reopening of the final three Bay County branches that sustained heavy damage when Hurricane Michael made landfall as a category four storm along the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10.
Regions’ Panama City Main branch at 469 West 23rd Street, Lynn Haven South branch at 2320 South Highway 77, and the Callaway branch at 730 North Tyndall Parkway, reopened Dec. 10 following two months of extensive repairs.
Other Regions facilities in Panama City and Panama City Beach suffered less severe damage and reopened within days of the storm. Market Executive Steve Aase said crews worked tirelessly to repair the Panama City Main facility, as well as Lynn Haven and Callaway, to get all of Regions’ Bay County branch network back online as soon as possible.
“Throughout the rebuilding process, we never lost our ability to serve customers, and that is a testament to the strong teamwork and dedication of Regions associates,” Aase said. “Since October, associates from Panama City Main, Lynn Haven and Callaway, have been working at other Regions locations, helping people and businesses as they recover from Hurricane Michael. We see ourselves as partners in the financial recovery of our community, and we are eager to welcome customers back to all nine of our Bay County branches as we continue to meet long-term financial needs.”
The Panama City Main branch had the most significant damage of Regions’ affected facilities. Additional renovations are needed to restore the second floor of the building, which houses business groups that deliver mortgage banking and commercial banking services. Those renovations have begun and will have no impact on other branch operations. Mortgage and Commercial Banking personnel will remain based in other local workspaces while repairs are underway.
Damage assessments began immediately after the storm passed, and Regions began work on a three-fold mission to rebuild damaged branches, support Bay County communities in recovery and provide additional financial services to customers.
Repairs to the three branches included the removal of the ceiling, ductwork, flooring and electrical components, roof and facia replacement, new signage and renovations of interior space. The repairs restored the branches to their original condition.
Further, to support recovery in impacted communities, Regions donated a total of $100,000 to three nonprofits in the Florida Panhandle, Southeast Alabama and Southwest Georgia. Also, a series of disaster-recovery financial services was made available to help people and businesses in FEMA-declared disaster areas. While standard ATM rates have resumed, the remainder of Regions’ disaster-recovery services continues to be available through the end of December. Local Regions personnel are available to meet with customers one-on-one to discuss how these services can apply to their individual recovery needs.
Associates at Regions’ Panama City Main branch gathered for a team huddle before the bank reopened after being closed for two months during repairs following Hurricane Michael.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $125 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,500 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.