NC homeowners hit with 7.5% insurance rate hike

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — When Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters finally receded last September, Alex Webber thought the worst was over.

The co‑owner of On Your Bike Café and repair shop had fled New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, searching for higher ground in the North Carolina mountains.

Instead, she found 3 feet of mud, a gutted storefront and an insurance denial letter.

“They take your money and they weasel out,” Webber said, reflecting on the still‑scarred space on Marshall’s Main Street. “I came here thinking this was a climate haven, but there’s no safe place to live anymore.”

Webber’s struggle underscores a problem headed for almost every homeowner in the state.