Hurricane Helene left as many as 138,000 vehicles flood damaged after it tore through at least six states, according to the latest CARFAX estimate.
Floodwaters swamped communities in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
That’s on top of the estimated up to 89,000 vehicles already hit with water damage so far this year, CARFAX said.
Thousands of flood-damaged cars will be up for sale within weeks, cleaned up by potential scammers to be sold nearby, or thousands of miles away from the original incident, the company added.
“After cleaning up the cars and moving them across the country, these scammers will try to lure unsuspecting buyers into thinking they’re getting a great deal,” said Faisal Hasan, vice president for Data at CARFAX. “These cars may look showroom fresh, but they’re literally rotting from the inside out.”
Floodwater can cause costly mechanical and electrical issues and pose risks to health and safety.
CARFAX estimates these six states have the most water-damaged vehicles due to Hurricane Helene:
- Florida 60,700
- South Carolina 27,500
- North Carolina 22,900
- Georgia 16,800
- Tennessee 4,900
- Virginia 4,900