Welcome to ICC

For 35 years, we've been helping neighbors in Wilmington and across New Hanover County recover from hurricane damage. We handle the insurance process so you can focus on your family and rebuilding. We're not here to dramatize what you're going through—we're here to help you through it.

Ready to talk? Click the ICC logo below to connect with us, or call (864) 497-2151.

Wilmington Hurricane Resources

New Hanover County Emergency Management
230 Government Center Drive, Suite 115
Wilmington, NC 28403
Phone: (910) 798-6900 | Emergency: 911
nhcgov.com/emergency-management
EmergencyNHC.com (Emergency Updates)

American Red Cross - Cape Fear Chapter
Phone: (800) 733-2767
redcross.org/cape-fear

National Weather Service - Wilmington
2015 Gardner Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405
Phone: (910) 762-4289
weather.gov/ilm

FEMA Disaster Assistance
Phone: (800) 621-3362
fema.gov/disaster/recover

National Flood Insurance Program
Phone: (877) 336-2627
floodsmart.gov

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (Water/Sewer Emergencies)
Phone: (910) 332-6565
cfpua.org

Duke Energy (Power Outages)
Phone: (800) 419-6536
duke-energy.com/outages

Trusted Wilmington Restoration Companies:

• SERVPRO of New Hanover: (910) 762-8180
• Rainbow Restoration of The Cape Fear: (910) 254-9292
• Pride Restoration of NC: (910) 790-3130
• BMS CAT Wilmington: (866) 810-3715
• All Dry Services: (910) 769-9559

Why Hurricane Claims Are Complex in Wilmington

Wilmington sits at the intersection of two insurance nightmares: you need both homeowners insurance and flood insurance, but when damage happens, each insurer tries to blame the other policy.

Here's what happens: Hurricane winds tear off shingles and create openings in your roof. Rain pours through those openings and saturates your home. Your homeowners insurer says "that's flood damage—not our problem." Your flood insurer says "that's wind-driven rain through roof damage—not our problem." You're stuck in the middle with a destroyed home and two insurance companies pointing at each other.

The technical distinction matters enormously. Wind damage and wind-driven rain through damaged openings should be covered by your homeowners policy. Storm surge and rising water require separate flood insurance. But proving which damage came from which source—especially when they happen simultaneously during a hurricane—becomes the central battle of your claim.

Add in Wilmington-specific complications: percentage-based hurricane deductibles (often 2-5% of your home's value, not a flat amount), coastal building code upgrade requirements, and the reality that 116,968 homes in the area face hurricane risk. Hurricane Florence showed how quickly Wilmington can be cut off, with adjusters unable to reach properties for days while damage worsens.

Understanding this complexity before you file is critical. The attribution decisions made in the first weeks often determine whether you receive a fair settlement or spend years fighting denials.

How Hurricane Claims Get Denied

After major hurricanes, insurance companies face enormous financial exposure. The pressure to minimize payouts is intense. Here are the most common tactics we see used against Wilmington property owners:

• The attribution game: Wind rips your roof apart. Rain pours through the opening and destroys your interior. The adjuster labels all the interior damage as "flood" to exclude it from homeowners coverage—even though the water only entered because wind destroyed the roof first. This misattribution can cut settlements by 50% or more.
• Pre-existing damage claims: After Category 2+ winds destroy your roof, the adjuster claims it "would have failed anyway due to age and wear." They ignore the fact that the roof was fine before 100 mph winds hit it. This tactic shifts blame from the hurricane to you, attempting to reduce or deny coverage.
• Inadequate damage assessment: The adjuster documents obvious damage—the missing shingles, the broken windows—but misses critical secondary damage. Saturated insulation holds moisture for weeks, creating mold. Roof decking that looks intact from below is actually compromised. Electrical systems exposed to salt spray will fail within months. Missing this hidden damage means settling for 30-40% less than the actual repair cost.
• Hurricane deductible manipulation: Many coastal policies have percentage deductibles instead of flat amounts. On a $400,000 home, a 5% hurricane deductible means you pay the first $20,000. Some insurers apply this deductible incorrectly—charging it for damage that shouldn't trigger it, or calculating it against inflated values. Verify every deductible calculation.
• Code upgrade exclusions: Current New Hanover County building codes require specific hurricane-rated materials and fastening systems that didn't exist when older homes were built. Your policy may cover "replacement cost" but the insurer offers repairs using outdated methods that won't pass inspection. This leaves you paying thousands out of pocket to meet code, or accepting substandard repairs that fail in the next storm.
• Delay tactics: After Hurricane Florence, some Wilmington claims took 12-18 months to settle. The longer the insurer delays, the more desperate property owners become. Many accept inadequate settlements just to move forward with their lives. Insurance companies know this and use time as a weapon.

Documenting Hurricane Damage Properly

Documentation makes or breaks hurricane claims. The difference between a full settlement and a denial often comes down to what you can prove happened during the storm.

Before hurricane season (June 1 - November 30):

• Photograph your entire property—interior and exterior—in its undamaged state. These "before" photos prove the hurricane caused the damage, defeating "pre-existing condition" denials.
• Video walk-throughs work even better than photos. Walk through every room speaking into your phone's camera: "This is the living room on May 15, 2025, before hurricane season. No water damage, no cracks, ceiling is intact..."
• Store these images in cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud) accessible after you evacuate. Don't rely on devices that might be destroyed in the storm.
• Know your policies. Find your homeowners and flood insurance documents now. Read the hurricane deductible section. Understand what's covered and what requires flood insurance. Don't wait until after the storm to discover you're underinsured.

When a hurricane threatens Wilmington:

• Take new photos/video the day before evacuation showing your property's condition immediately before the storm.
• Document your hurricane preparation efforts—boarding windows, securing items, moving valuables to upper floors. Some policies reimburse preparation costs.
• Save all receipts for supplies, hotel rooms, meals during evacuation. Additional Living Expenses (ALE) coverage reimburses displacement costs, but only if documented.

After the storm passes:

• Wait for New Hanover County's all-clear before returning. Safety first.
• Document everything before touching anything. Take 100+ photos from every angle. Video walk-throughs narrating what you see: "This is wind damage to the roof. This water inside came through that roof opening. The wind broke this window..."
• Photograph the inside of damaged areas. If the roof is torn open, photograph the exposed interior, the wet insulation, the water stains on ceilings.
• Don't throw anything away until it's documented. Keep damaged items for the adjuster to inspect.
• Make emergency repairs to prevent further damage (tarping holes, pumping water), but photograph before and after, and save all receipts. Mitigation efforts are reimbursable.
• Start a detailed log: date, time, who you spoke with at your insurance company, what was said, what they promised. Insurance disputes often come down to "he said, she said"—your log is evidence.

Understanding Wind vs. Flood Damage

This distinction determines whether your claim is covered, denied, or fought over for years. Understanding it helps you document properly and push back against insurer games.

Wind damage (typically covered by homeowners insurance):

• Torn or missing shingles, damaged roof decking
• Structural damage from wind pressure—walls pushed in, roof lifted
• Broken windows and doors from wind or wind-borne debris
• Water damage that entered through wind-created openings (the critical distinction)
• Destroyed fences, sheds, detached structures blown apart by wind

Flood damage (requires separate flood insurance):

• Storm surge—ocean water pushed inland by the hurricane
• Rising water from overwhelmed rivers and storm drains
• Water entering through doors, windows, or walls that were intact (no wind damage creating the opening)
• Ground saturation causing foundation issues

The gray area that causes disputes:

When wind tears open your roof and rain pours through that opening, is the interior water damage "wind damage" or "flood damage"? The correct answer is wind damage—the water only entered because wind destroyed the roof. But many insurers classify all water damage as flood to exclude it from homeowners coverage.

Your documentation must establish causation. If you can prove wind created the opening first, the subsequent water damage falls under homeowners insurance. This is why photographing the storm's progression matters—images showing wind damage before water intrusion prove the causal chain.

Similarly, if storm surge floods your first floor while wind tears your roof open and floods your second floor, you're dealing with both. The first floor is flood insurance; the second floor is homeowners. Getting attribution right on a room-by-room basis determines your settlement.

What Hurricane Insurance Should Cover

Understanding your policy's actual coverage prevents surprises and helps you push back when insurers lowball estimates. Here's what comprehensive hurricane damage settlements typically include:

• Structural repairs: Roof replacement (including decking and underlayment), wall repairs, window and door replacement, structural framing damaged by wind. This includes labor and materials to restore your home to pre-storm condition.
• Code upgrade costs: If repairs require bringing the structure up to current building codes, many policies cover this "ordinance or law" coverage. New Hanover County coastal codes often require upgraded hurricane fastening systems, wind-rated materials, and reinforced connections that cost more than basic repairs.
• Interior damage: Drywall, flooring, cabinetry, built-in fixtures destroyed by wind or water that entered through wind-created openings.
• Systems: HVAC, electrical, plumbing damaged or destroyed by the hurricane. Salt water exposure from storm surge or wind-driven spray corrodes these systems—they often need complete replacement, not just repairs.
• Mold remediation: If water damage isn't dried within 24-48 hours, mold grows rapidly in Wilmington's humid climate. Proper remediation includes air quality testing, containment, removal of affected materials, treatment, and verification—not just wiping visible mold with bleach.
• Contents: Furniture, electronics, clothing, appliances, personal belongings destroyed by wind or water. Most policies cover replacement cost (what it costs to buy new) versus actual cash value (depreciated value). Know which you have.
• Additional Living Expenses (ALE): Hotel, meals, temporary housing while your home is uninhabitable. This coverage continues until repairs are complete, which after major hurricanes can be 6-12 months given contractor shortages.
• Debris removal: Policies typically include limited debris removal. After major hurricanes, actual costs often exceed these limits. Trees on houses, destroyed structures, and widespread debris require professional removal that can cost tens of thousands.
• Emergency repairs: Tarping, board-up, water extraction, securing the property to prevent further damage. Done immediately after the storm, these mitigation costs are reimbursable—save every receipt.

Many policies also cover temporary repairs, landscaping restoration (with limits), and detached structures like garages and sheds. Read your policy's hurricane or windstorm section carefully to understand your specific coverage limits and exclusions.

Preparing for Hurricane Season

The best time to prepare for a hurricane claim is before the storm forms. Here's what Wilmington property owners should do now:

Review your insurance coverage:

• Verify you have both homeowners and flood insurance. Standard homeowners policies don't cover storm surge or rising water. Don't wait until a storm threatens—flood insurance typically has a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.
• Check your hurricane deductible. Many Wilmington policies have percentage-based deductibles (2%, 5%, even 10% of dwelling value) instead of flat amounts. Calculate what you'd actually pay out of pocket.
• Confirm your dwelling coverage amount reflects current replacement costs. Construction costs have increased significantly. Underinsurance means you pay the gap between your coverage limit and actual rebuild costs.
• Understand your wind coverage. Some policies exclude or limit wind damage in coastal zones. Know what you have before you need it.

Document your property:

• Photograph/video your entire property—every room, every angle, inside and outside.
• Create a home inventory with purchase dates, values, and receipts for major items.
• Store everything in accessible cloud storage.

Know your evacuation plan:

• Visit EmergencyNHC.com and check your storm surge zone.
• Register for New Hanover County emergency alerts: (910) 798-6900
• Plan evacuation routes and destinations before storm season begins.
• If you stay in a shelter, understand it's a last resort with basic provisions only.

Prepare your property:

• Install hurricane shutters or cut plywood panels sized to your windows before the storm threatens.
• Trim trees and remove dead branches that could become wind-borne debris.
• Secure outdoor items—furniture, grills, decorations become projectiles in hurricane winds.
• Know how to shut off utilities if needed.
• Keep important documents (insurance policies, IDs, deeds) in waterproof containers or scan them to cloud storage.

Getting Help with Your Hurricane Claim

Hurricane claims are complex, time-consuming, and adversarial. Insurance companies have experienced adjusters and attorneys working to minimize what they pay. You're dealing with your first hurricane claim while managing displacement, repairs, and recovery.

This is where public adjusters come in. We work for you, not the insurance company. We handle the entire claim process—documentation, damage assessment, estimate preparation, negotiation—so you can focus on your family and rebuilding.

We work on contingency, meaning we only get paid when you receive your settlement. No upfront costs, no hourly fees, no surprise bills. Our fee comes as a percentage of your settlement, which means our interests align with yours—we maximize your settlement.

Over 35 years working hurricane claims in Wilmington and across the Cape Fear region, we've seen every insurer tactic and overcome every obstacle. We know local contractors, building codes, and typical repair costs. We've helped property owners recover from every major storm to hit this coast.

If you're facing a hurricane claim—whether just filed or stuck in dispute—call us at (864) 497-2151 any time, day or night. The initial consultation is free. We'll review your policy, discuss your damage, and explain exactly how we can help.

The sooner you involve us, the better we can protect your settlement. Claims built correctly from the start settle faster and for more money than claims that need to be rebuilt after initial denial.

We're here when you need us.