Insurance Companies Wait For Flood Of Claims To Pour In

Carter Grimes thought she had found a safe place to park her car. That was before the car got impaled by a pine tree.

The weight of the ice was just too much for the towering trees in Grimes' front yard.

Now, one of trees is in the front seat of her car, having fallen right through the car's sunroof.

"When I saw it, I couldn't believe it," Grimes said. "You don't expect to see a tree going through your car."

Grimes was in good spirits for someone whose car had been crushed. But trying to get someone from her insurance company on the phone really tested her patience.

"So far, we haven't gotten through," she said.

As busy as insurance companies may have seemed, for many, Thursday might have been the calm before the storm.

Many insurance companies across the Triangle kept their doors closed Thursday.

Most of the calls that came in were about minor damage from fallen branches. The volume of claims is expected to pick up once people venture out onto the roads - and into each other.

It's also important to note that many insurance agents say the most important thing you can do in the event of an accident is document your damage with photographs or a camcorder.