Conway · Horry County · South Carolina
Storm Damage Roof Repair Conway SC — Flood & Hurricane Specialists
Conway is not a beach town. Your roof gets hit differently here — Waccamaw River flooding, three-day wind-driven rain events, and live oak branches falling through decking. We respond to Conway storm damage from our Myrtle Beach base 15 miles east, with Hurricane Florence 2018 veterans on crew and a Horry County permit workflow that has been running since 2022. Free 21-point inspection, insurance documentation in Xactimate format, and honest answers about whether the damage is a homeowners claim or a flood claim — because in Conway, that distinction is the difference between a funded repair and a denied one.
Conway Storm Risk: By The Numbers
Conway's storm risk profile is different from Myrtle Beach. You are 15 miles inland, behind the dunes, but sitting in the Waccamaw River floodplain with a dense live oak canopy overhead. These numbers come from NWS Wilmington, USGS, FEMA, and the US Census — not estimates.
21.16 ft
Waccamaw River record crest at Conway
September 26, 2018 during Hurricane Florence — more than 10 ft above flood stage.
Source: NWS Wilmington (2018)
361 homes
Damaged inside Conway city limits by Florence
Part of 1,941 Horry County homes damaged in the same event.
Source: NWS / Horry County EOC (2018)
23.63 in
State rainfall record — Loris, 20 mi N of Conway
The South Carolina tropical cyclone rainfall record, set during Florence 2018.
Source: NWS Wilmington (2018)
130 mph
Horry County wind design speed
Minimum wind resistance required for new roofing under SC building codes — same rating inland at Conway as on the beach.
Source: SC Building Codes Council
Separate policy
Flood damage is NOT on your homeowners insurance
Flood coverage requires a NFIP policy. Hurricane wind, rain intrusion, and fallen-tree damage remain homeowners claims.
Source: FEMA / NFIP
~26,000
Conway city population (Horry County seat)
Inland city 15 miles west of Myrtle Beach, split by the Waccamaw River and Kingston Lake.
Source: US Census Bureau
Why Conway is different: Beach towns fear storm surge. Conway fears river crest. The Waccamaw does not care whether the hurricane made landfall — it can keep rising for a week after the wind stops, as residents in the El Bethel and Bucksport communities learned after Florence. Your storm damage contractor needs to understand both the wind event and the flooding that follows.
Why Conway Roofing Is Different from Oceanfront
Conway sits at the confluence of the Waccamaw River and Kingston Lake, about 15 miles inland from the Atlantic. That single fact changes everything about how storms damage Conway roofs compared to Myrtle Beach, Surfside, or Garden City. You do not fight salt spray corrosion or storm surge. You fight three other things that oceanfront homes do not.
First: sustained wind-driven rain. When a tropical system stalls over the Grand Strand — which Florence did for four days in 2018 — Conway gets the back end of the storm for days longer than the beach. Sustained 30-45 mph winds push rain horizontally under shingle tabs, past flashing, and through any penetration that is even slightly compromised. The roof looks fine after the storm, but water has been driven into the decking under the shingles. Rot develops over the next 60 to 120 days, long after the adjuster has closed your file.
Second: the live oak canopy. Conway's historic neighborhoods around Main Street, Rivertown, and Coastal Carolina University sit under mature Southern live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Those oaks are magnificent and they are roof hazards. Limbs 6–12 inches thick snap off in 60 mph gusts and drop into roofs. Strike damage on a Conway roof is typically not a simple shingle replacement — it is cracked decking, broken rafters, and interior water damage that an oceanfront wind-only event would not produce.
Third: post-flood moisture in the roof system. Houses near the Waccamaw that took floodwater inside sit in humid, saturated air for weeks while water recedes and drying out happens. That humid air rises into the attic, condenses on cool roof decking, and rots framing from the inside. By the time you see the ceiling stain, the sheathing is often half gone. Beach homes never face this — the wind dries everything out within 48 hours.
Hurricane Florence 2018: The Conway Flood
Hurricane Florence made landfall at Wrightsville Beach, NC on September 14, 2018 as a Category 1. The wind event for Conway was mild by hurricane standards — gusts in the 55-70 mph range, the kind of weather the Grand Strand sees during a strong tropical storm. If Florence had been a normal hurricane, Conway would have shrugged it off. It was the rain that turned Florence into one of the most destructive events in Horry County history.
Per the National Weather Service Wilmington post-storm assessment, Loris, SC (about 20 miles north of Conway) recorded 23.63 inches of rain over four days — the state of South Carolina tropical cyclone rainfall record. The broader Waccamaw basin above Conway took similar totals. All of that water funneled south through the river, which at Conway began rising on September 15 and did not crest until September 26.
The crest: 21.16 feet, per USGS gauge data reported by NWS. Flood stage at Conway is 11 feet. The Waccamaw was 10 feet above flood stage, beat its Hurricane Matthew crest by more than three feet, and sat at or near record levels for days. Highway 501 closed. Homes in El Bethel, Bucksport, and Rosewood sat in moving water for over a week. The city of Conway itself did not flood in the downtown core (Conway is slightly elevated), but the surrounding neighborhoods were devastated.
When NWS tallied structural damage across Horry County after the floods receded, the numbers were stark: 1,941 homes sustained damage, including 361 inside Conway city limits and 1,580 across the rural county. Nearly 1,000 homes and businesses near the river took major flood damage. Most of those homes kept their roofs on during the wind event — the problem came later, when saturated decking, moldering attic framing, and roof systems compromised by days of sustained rain exposure started failing silently over the following months.
This is the part of Florence that never made the news. The wind damage was photographed and cataloged. The river crest made the front page. But the slow roof failures that played out over the fall and winter of 2018-2019 — the leaks that appeared in December, the ceiling stains that showed up in January, the mold blooms that showed up in March — those are the Florence stories we are still repairing in 2026. If your Conway home was in any way exposed to Florence and you have not had a professional roof inspection since, that is a call we will take seriously.
Conway-Specific Storm Damage Types
Every Conway storm inspection covers the same six failure modes. These are the patterns we see over and over in the 29526, 29527, and 29528 ZIPs — different from what we see at the beach.
Tree-Strike & Limb Fall Damage
The most common Conway storm claim. Live oak and loblolly pine limbs snap in 50+ mph gusts. Strike damage typically goes past shingles — cracked decking, broken rafters, and interior leaking. We handle emergency tarping, licensed arborist coordination for removal, and structural repair as one integrated scope. Insurance classifies this as wind-caused (not flood), so it goes on your homeowners policy.
Wind-Driven Rain Leaks
Three-day sustained rain events push water sideways under shingles, around pipe boots, and past flashing at roof-wall transitions. No visible exterior damage, but the roof deck underneath is saturated. These leaks often appear 60–120 days after the storm. We test attic moisture content with a pinless meter during every post-storm inspection.
Inland Hail Damage
Counterintuitive but true: Conway sees more hail than Myrtle Beach proper because thunderstorms crossing the Pee Dee often lose intensity and drop their hail cores over the inland Waccamaw basin. Damage shows up as bruised shingles (granules knocked loose), dented metal vents, and dinged gutters. Often invisible from ground level.
Lifted Shingles & Broken Seal Strips
Sustained 45+ mph wind events break the thermal seal strip between shingle courses. The shingles look fine but they are no longer sealed — the next heavy rain drives water under the tabs. Florence did this to thousands of Conway roofs that appeared undamaged post-storm. We test seal integrity on every inspection.
Soffit, Fascia & Gable Damage
Wind pressure on Conway's brick ranch and Lowcountry-style homes concentrates at the eaves. Soffit panels get blown out, vented fascia separates, and gable-end returns crack. These failures let wind-driven rain into the attic directly — bypassing the roof entirely. Insurance covers soffit repair when it is part of a storm damage scope.
Attic Moisture Damage (Post-Flood)
Homes that took floodwater develop attic moisture problems even if the roof held. Saturated air rises, condenses on underside of decking, and rots framing from the interior out. Flood insurance typically will not cover this (it is attic, not living space); homeowners carriers sometimes will under a resulting damage clause. We document both for claim clarity.
Conway Building Codes & Permit Process
Conway is inside Horry County, and most residential roof permits route through Horry County Building Codes, headquartered at the Government & Justice Center on 3rd Avenue in downtown Conway. Properties inside the City of Conway municipal limits may also require a City permit depending on scope. We check jurisdiction on every project before pulling paperwork.
Under the adopted SC Building Code, Horry County sits in the 130 mph wind design zone — the same rating required for oceanfront properties in Myrtle Beach. That surprises Conway homeowners who assume their inland location means relaxed wind standards. It does not. Any new or replacement roof must be fastened, nailed, and underlayment-secured to withstand 130 mph sustained wind pressure. This affects nail pattern (6 nails per shingle in Conway, not 4), starter course requirements, and ridge cap installation.
For homes inside designated FEMA flood zones along the Waccamaw or Kingston Lake, additional rules apply. Homes in Zone AE (1%-annual-chance floodplain) must comply with floodplain development requirements under Horry County Stormwater. Most standalone roof work does not trigger these rules. But "substantial improvement" (work costing 50%+ of market value, often the case after a major storm) can force the home to be brought into full floodplain compliance, including elevation of mechanical systems.
Permit fees in Horry County are modest — typically $50–$250 for a residential re-roof — but the inspection protocol is strict. Tear-off inspection, mid-install inspection (for underlayment verification), and final inspection are standard. We schedule every inspection, meet the inspector on-site, and handle any correction notices. Unpermitted roof work can void your manufacturer warranty, complicate insurance claims, and create closing problems when you sell the home.
Our Conway Storm Response
Every Conway storm damage project follows the same four-phase workflow. No variation, no shortcuts — the process is what keeps insurance claims clean and repairs warrantied.
Emergency Tarping & Tree Assessment
If active water intrusion, fallen limb, or structural compromise exists, our crews respond same-day (conditions permitting) for emergency tarping and structural assessment. For tree strikes, we coordinate with licensed arborists for controlled removal before any roof work begins.
21-Point Conway Inspection
Shingles, flashing, valleys, ridge caps, pipe boots, soffit, fascia, gable returns, decking, attic moisture content, ventilation balance, and insulation saturation. Every point photographed, GPS-tagged, and documented in an adjuster-ready Xactimate-format report. Free, no obligation.
Insurance Claim Coordination
We file with your homeowners carrier, meet the adjuster on site, advocate for full-scope coverage, and file supplements when hidden damage is uncovered during tear-off. For properties with both wind AND flood claims, we separate the two so each carrier pays the right portion. Direct insurance billing available for major SC carriers.
Repair or Full Replacement
GAF-certified materials installed to manufacturer spec, supported by a GAF Certified Plus™ extended warranty on full replacements. Six-nail fastening pattern per Horry County code, enhanced starter course, and sealed ridge vent. All work permitted and inspected. Most Conway storm repairs complete within 1-3 days once insurance is approved.
Insurance Claims: Flood vs Hurricane (the Conway Distinction)
The single most common mistake Conway homeowners make after a major storm: filing a single claim for all the damage. Insurance does not work that way inland. You actually have two (possibly three) separate policies in play, and knowing which damage goes where decides whether your roof repair is funded or denied.
Homeowners policy covers wind damage, hail damage, fallen-tree damage, and wind-driven rain intrusion from above. If a limb smashed your roof, if shingles blew off, if wind-driven rain soaked the ceiling from above — that is your homeowners carrier. In SC, hurricane claims may trigger a separate 2-5% named-storm deductible (higher than your standard deductible), but the claim itself is a homeowners claim.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy covers rising water damage from outside the structure. If Waccamaw water rose up into your home, soaked drywall from the floor up, or saturated the attic from interior humidity after the flood — that is a flood claim. You must have purchased a standalone NFIP policy (or a private flood policy) before the event; homeowners alone does not cover it. FEMA NFIP is the primary provider; private carriers like Neptune also offer flood.
The overlap is where Conway claims get messy. Roof-related damage after a river flood — attic framing rotted by saturated humid air, for example — can be argued under either policy depending on the cause-of-loss wording. Our inspection documents both, clearly separating wind-caused vs flood-caused damage, so your adjusters (plural — you will have one per policy) each see exactly what they need to pay their portion.
If your carrier denies a roof claim as "flood damage excluded," do not accept the denial at face value. Many Conway roof failures after Florence were wind-driven rain intrusion with delayed manifestation — covered by homeowners, not flood. We have seen supplementary claim approvals reverse initial denials when the proper documentation is filed. Our roof insurance claims guide walks through the playbook.
Conway Storm Damage FAQs
The questions Conway homeowners actually ask us after a storm.
Does my homeowners insurance cover Waccamaw River flooding damage to my Conway roof?+
Usually not — and this is the single biggest insurance misunderstanding in Conway. Standard homeowners insurance excludes flood damage. That is covered by a separate National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy, which you have to buy independently. However, roof damage from hurricane wind, wind-driven rain, fallen trees, and hail IS covered by your homeowners policy, even if those events happened during the same storm that flooded the river. The distinction matters: a tree that fell on your roof during Hurricane Florence is a homeowners claim. Rising Waccamaw water that soaked your attic from below is a flood claim. Our inspection separates the two so your claim goes to the correct carrier.
How tall did the Waccamaw River get at Conway during Hurricane Florence?+
The Waccamaw River at Conway crested at 21.16 feet on September 26, 2018 — a record that topped the Hurricane Matthew crest by more than three feet according to the National Weather Service Wilmington post-storm report. Flood stage at Conway is 11 feet, so the river stayed above flood stage for roughly two weeks. More than 1,900 homes were damaged across Horry County, including 361 in Conway city limits. Homes in the El Bethel, Bucksport, and Rosewood areas sat in water for days. The prolonged exposure is what killed roof decking and attic framing — not the initial wind event.
I live in a Conway flood zone. Does that change my roof repair?+
Yes. If your home sits in FEMA Flood Zone AE along the Waccamaw or Kingston Lake, any substantial repair or improvement — defined as work costing 50% or more of your home's market value — triggers Horry County floodplain compliance. That can require elevating mechanical equipment, using flood-resistant materials below the base flood elevation, and in some cases lifting the home itself. Most roof-only repairs do not trigger this, but major storm reconstruction can. We check your FEMA flood zone designation before writing the scope so you are not surprised by a county hold on your permit.
How much rain did Conway get during Hurricane Florence in 2018?+
Conway sits in the Waccamaw River basin, which received between 15 and 23 inches of rain from Florence over a four-day period. The state tropical cyclone rainfall record was set at Loris, about 20 miles north of Conway, at 23.63 inches per NWS. What made Florence catastrophic was not just the total — it was the duration. Three-plus days of sustained rain soaked under shingles, overwhelmed gutters, and saturated roof decks. Homes with aging shingles or compromised flashing developed leaks that did not appear until weeks later, when the decking finally rotted through.
Do I need a Horry County permit to repair my Conway roof after a storm?+
It depends on the scope. Replacing damaged shingles, flashing, or a small section of decking typically does not require a permit. A full re-roof, structural decking replacement, or changing roof materials (shingle to metal, for example) requires a Horry County Building Inspections permit and inspection. Permits are issued at the Horry County Government Complex on Main Street in Conway. As a licensed contractor, we pull the permit for you, schedule inspections, and handle the paperwork. Unpermitted storm repairs can void your warranty and create title issues when you sell the home.
What does hail damage look like on a Conway roof?+
Inland Conway actually takes more hail than the immediate beach because thunderstorms lose intensity as they approach the coast and dump stone cores over the Pee Dee region. Hail damage shows up as round, dark bruises on asphalt shingles where the granules have been knocked loose, dented gutters and downspouts, cracked or dinged soft-metal vents and flashing, and shredded window screens. Most of it is not visible from the ground. That is why we climb the roof for every post-storm inspection. Insurance will typically cover hail damage if reported within one year of the event, but the older the claim, the more likely the adjuster argues it was pre-existing wear.
A Spanish moss oak fell on my Conway roof. What do I do first?+
First, leave the tree where it is until a professional assesses it. Removing a tree from a roof the wrong way tears out more decking than the tree itself did. Call us and your insurance carrier. We can tarp around the tree to stop active water intrusion, then coordinate with a licensed arborist for controlled removal — usually sectioning the tree and lowering pieces with rigging rather than cutting and dropping. Full roof reconstruction follows once the tree is off and we can see the structural damage. Conway's mature live oak canopy is beautiful and also the reason tree-strike claims are the most common non-hurricane storm claim we handle in the 29526 and 29527 ZIPs.
How fast can you get to my Conway home after a storm?+
Our crews are based in Myrtle Beach, about 20 minutes from downtown Conway on Highway 501. For active water intrusion and structural emergencies we prioritize same-day tarping, conditions permitting. After a major named storm that affects the entire Grand Strand, call volumes spike and we triage by severity — active leaks and tree strikes first, routine damage assessments after. The faster you call, the sooner we can stop secondary water damage. Emergency calls come into (843) 877-5539 24/7.
Should I wait for my insurance adjuster before calling a roofer?+
No. Call a roofer first. A contractor inspection before the adjuster arrives gives you documentation the adjuster does not have — dated photos, measurements, and a written scope of damage. When the adjuster climbs the roof, your contractor should be there to point out damage the adjuster might miss or undervalue. Adjusters have dozens of claims in the queue during a major storm; they move fast and miss things. A contractor who catches hidden decking damage, lifted underlayment, or impact bruising can add thousands to the claim payout. Our free 21-point inspection is designed to be adjuster-ready.
Are you actually based in Conway, or are you chasing this storm from out of state?+
Neither — but this matters. We are Weather Shield Roofing, based at 215 Ronnie Ct. Unit F in Myrtle Beach, about 15 miles east of Conway. We serve Conway, Aynor, Bucksport, Socastee, and the rest of Horry County as a permanent part of our service area, not a post-storm pop-up. Storm chasers show up in unmarked trucks after named events, collect insurance payments, and disappear before warranty season. We have been here since 2022, hold a SC Residential Builders license, are GAF Certified Plus™ (top 3% nationally), and carry a 5.0 rating on 82 Google reviews. If the roofer knocking on your Conway door can't show you an SC contractor license number, send them away.
Conway Storm Damage? We Answer the Phone 24/7.
Free 21-point inspection, Xactimate-format documentation for your adjuster, honest answers about wind vs flood coverage, and a crew that has been repairing Conway roofs since 2022. No storm chasers, no out-of-state trucks.
215 Ronnie Ct. Unit F, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579 · Serving Conway, Aynor, Bucksport & all of Horry County