Charleston storm & claim resource

Charleston’s flooding is famous, and it is exactly why so many claims here get denied. A homeowners policy covers wind but excludes rising water — so after every major storm, carriers and the NFIP argue over which peril did the damage on the same house. Getting that allocation right is usually the difference between a paid claim and a denial.

What Charleston claims turn on

The Charleston peninsula and the Lowcountry sit low, and the tidal surge that pushed a 9.92-ft tide into the harbor during Irma (2017) triggered named-storm deductibles more than 200 miles from that storm’s landfall. Wind-driven rain through a breached roof is covered even when surge below is not — the causation line is where the fight lives. Charleston’s stock of historic homes adds a second battle: matching. When a slate or tile roof can’t be matched, the scope of a proper repair multiplies.

The law here

South Carolina has no matching statute, so matching turns on the policy’s “like kind and quality” language and, often, appraisal. Bad-faith conduct is governed by S.C. Code § 38-59, and § 38-59-40 shifts attorney’s fees when an insurer refuses to pay a covered loss without reasonable cause. Every deadline and figure on this page is general information — confirm your policy and the current statutes with counsel.