The North Carolina Department of Insurance published a bulletin on an order providing assistance for consumers affected by Hurricane Helene. Insurance Commissioner Causey issued the order on September 30, 2024.
President Biden and FEMA approved a major disaster declaration for North Carolina on September 28, 2024. This gave the Commissioner the authority to issue the order, per North Carolina statute NCGS § 58-2-46.
Any policy insuring real property and its contents that requires the insured to file a proof of loss within a certain period of time will have that period extended to the earlier of the expiration of the disaster proclamation or the expiration of the Commissioner's order.
Any consumer who resides in the designated area should be given the option to defer premium or debt payments that are due either during the time period covered by the disaster proclamation or during the time period before the expiration of the Commissioner's order. The deferral period is 30 days from the date the premium or debt was due.
The order applies to all insurance companies, including hospital service corporations, HMOs, MEWAs, surplus lines insurers, premium finance companies, collections agencies, and other companies subject to Chapter 58 of NC General Statutes.
The designed area includes the following counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey, and to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians of North Carolina.
The bulletin can be found here.