ECB Reports No Damage from Hurricane Earl

ENGELHARD, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Hurricane Earl pulls away from the North Carolina coastline, ECB is pleased to announce that all 24 branch locations in the bank’s eastern North Carolina footprint are reporting no major damage and banking services to its customers are continuing as normal.

“On Monday of this week, the executive team enacted emergency contingency plans for the bank in anticipation of Hurricane Earl making landfall somewhere on the North Carolina coast”

“On Monday of this week, the executive team enacted emergency contingency plans for the bank in anticipation of Hurricane Earl making landfall somewhere on the North Carolina coast,” said A. Dwight Utz, President and CEO at ECB. “Our preparation and emergency planning paid off and we are pleased to report no structural damage to any of the branches and all of our employees and their families are safe.”

On Thursday, the bank closed the Ocracoke, Hatteras, and Avon locations due to local emergency evacuations. This allowed staff to prepare and vacate areas in danger of the storm. On Friday, Ocracoke, Hatteras, and Avon remained closed due to local power outages and limited road access on Highway 12. Close inspection of these three branches by senior staff indicates no damage and they will be ready to open once the evacuation order is lifted and it is safe to do so.

About ECB Bancorp, Inc.

ECB Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company, headquartered in Engelhard, North Carolina, whose wholly-owned subsidiary, The East Carolina Bank, is a state-chartered, independent community bank insured by the FDIC. The Bank provides a full range of financial services through its 24 offices covering eastern North Carolina from Currituck to Ocean Isle Beach and Greenville to Hatteras. The Bank also provides mortgages, and insurance services through the Bank’s licensed agents. The Company’s common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “ECBE”. More information can be obtained by visiting ECB’s web site at www.MyECB.com.