ARDEN, N.C. — Insurance providers walked storm survivors through the claim filing process of finding relief and repairing their homes after Hurricane Helene on Wednesday and Thursday in Arden.

What You Need To Know

  • NCDOI hosted an insurance camp two days in a row in Arden

  • The goal was to offer on-site insurance providers an opportunity to walk people through assistance

  • Pat Liguri is one of the many storm victims who came to the camp

The North Carolina Department of Insurance set up a camp in western North Carolina to help those with storm damage claims.

Storm victims like Pat Liguri are happy to get any help they can.

Liguri, 70, said she is running on fumes after living through what Helene brought to her doorstep and into her house.

“See that shoe in there? It's one of my Skechers that I wear to exercise that had been in the garage. It wound up all the way inside here,” Liguri said as she pointed to the inside of her shower.

Liguri has lived in her Hendersonville home for more than three years. One drive through her neighborhood is enough proof to how much it was rocked by the natural disaster.

A sink, granite countertops, countless pieces of sheet rock, major household appliances and what’s left of a $7,000 bed are among the valuables that must be replaced now sitting on her front lawn.

“(I) never thought anything like this (would happen). Never,” Liguri said.

Yet the retired accountant said her head is spinning from handling insurance claims to talking to contractors and locating where to go for state and federal relief.

“I don’t know the first thing to do. Because I do one thing. I go down one path and then somebody says, ‘Did you do this yet?’ No, I didn’t. I didn’t do that either. No one tells you how to do this,” she said.

That’s why Chief Deputy Commissioner of the NCDOI Jackie Obusek said her agency offered the camp.

“We are here to help consumers with their insurance claims,” Obusek said.

Obusek and the NCDOI worked with people like Liguri at the camp.

She showed Liguri how to file a complaint.

“Insurance is very technical. Difficult to understand often. So, they come with questions on what their policy includes. What's covered not covered,” Obusek said.

Liguri filed a complaint against her insurance company with the NCDOI’s Consumer Division. 

From there, Obusek said the state agency begins a dialogue with the insurer to get answers.

Obusek also said how insurers categorize damage left behind by disasters isn’t always easy to explain. 

“This is a very unusual situation here. And, this is a lot more flood damage. And unfortunately, flood isn't covered under most of your insurance policies,” Obusek said.

One reason is because flood insurance is offered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The agency had crews at the camp both days.

“And it's not until you need it, and then you can't get it,” Obusek said.

Liguri said the ordeal caused by Helene is an overwhelming experience she can’t face alone.

“We are all scared. We don’t know what our future is going to look like,” Liguri said.

The biggest step in this process is filing a claim with your insurance company. 

Complaints can be filed online and by phone with the North Carolina Department of Insurance.