The U-Haul Company of Raleigh is offering 30 days of free self-storage to people affected by the Wilmington, N.C., flood. Nearly 21 inches of rain have fallen in the coastal city over the past week. It is the most rain the city has received since Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Homeowners and business owners can also take advantage of the companys Take a Box, Leave a Box program. Anyone with reusable boxes can drop them off at the nearest U-Haul location, allowing others to use the box for free.

Floods cause tremendous damage and inflict extreme hardship on the communities we serve, said Paul Smedberg, president of U-Haul Raleigh.

Since 1989, AMERCO Real Estate Co., an affiliate of U-Haul International Inc., has been responsible for providing real estate services to AMERCO subsidiaries that include more than 1,350 U-Haul moving and storage centers throughout the United States and Canada.