Charley damage claims top $4 million

COLUMBIA - Hurricane Charley wasn't blamed for any deaths in South Carolina, but the storm did wreak havoc on public and private property, according to two new damage estimates released Tuesday.

The S.C. Insurance News Service reported Hurricane Charley caused an estimated $4.6 million in damage when it crashed into the S.C. coast near McClellanville last weekend.

About 2,000 insurance claims had been filed by midday Tuesday, according to the service.

Also Tuesday, Gov. Mark Sanford informed federal emergency authorities that estimates found the storm caused more than $5 million in damage to public facilities -- primarily in Horry and Georgetown counties.

Sanford's letter, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Atlanta office, could open the door for federal aid. Sanford asked FEMA to begin assessing the damage today.

"We've got an obligation to do everything we can to promote economic development on the Grand Strand and throughout the state," Sanford said in a prepared statement. "A big part of that right now includes getting local governments impacted by the storm the assistance they need."

The team of FEMA, state and county officials studying the damage will look at public needs only.

The insurance claim damage figure was compiled from a survey of 20 insurance companies that do business in the state, said Allison Dean Love, the service's executive director.

It covered privately insured property such as automobiles, homes and businesses, Love said. It was unclear Tuesday whether the two damage estimates overlapped.

On Monday, the insurance news damage estimate was $1.8 million. That figure rose as more claims came in.

But Love said industry officials felt that by Tuesday most claims had been filed and the $4.6 million figure was not expected to increase much during the week.

Most of the damage claims came from the Grand Strand, where the storm hit hardest as it quickly passed through the state last Saturday.

The average claim amount was about $2,300, Love said.

Charley, with 145 mph winds, killed 20 and caused an estimated $15 billion damage when it smashed into southwest Florida on Friday.

The hurricane stormed across the Florida peninsula and emerged over the Atlantic. But the winds had dropped to 85 mph by the time Charley hit South Carolina in upper Charleston County.

Here, the storm mostly snapped trees and limbs, ripped down power lines, toppled awnings and signs and caused street flooding. At the height of the storm, almost 100,000 customers were left without power along the S.C. coast.