Officials: Damage from Florence in North Carolina at $17B

RALEIGH, N.C. —

State officials now say the damage in North Carolina from Hurricane Florence has approached $17 billion, an increase from a previous estimate.

The Office of State Budget and Management said in a news release the new figure, updated from $13 billion, is based on new data from the N.C. Department of Insurance.

A news release from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said, compared to previous storms in North Carolina, damage from Florence is historic. Hurricane Matthew caused $4.8 billion in damages, and when adjusted for inflation, Hurricane Floyd caused between $7 and $9.4 billion in damages. That means Florence has caused more damage than Matthew and Floyd combined.

Officials say the damage estimate for Florence may continue to change.

The original $13 billion figure was based on estimates and projections.