Capital One’s Louisiana Tower Badly Damaged by Hurricane Laura
Capital One’s Louisiana Tower Badly Damaged by Hurricane Laura
(Bloomberg) -- Capital One Financial Corp.’s 22-story tower in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was battered by Hurricane Laura.
The lender said it closed all of the branches and offices in Laura’s path ahead of the storm’s arrival, including the Lake Charles tower, to keep staff and customers safe. The vast majority of employees in the area had already been working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, Capital One said in a statement.
Images on social media showed severe storm damage to windows throughout the 400,000-square-foot (37,000-square-meter) Lake Charles facility, which also includes an adjacent parking garage and drive-in banking operations. The building was also heavily damaged by Hurricane Rita in 2005.
Hurricane Laura came ashore near Cameron, Louisiana, early Thursday, becoming one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the state. Capital One said it established a team that will actively monitor the storm and take immediate additional action if necessary.
“As we assess the ongoing situation and make any further decisions, we will continue placing the safety and well-being of our associates, customers and communities above all else,” the bank said in the statement.
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