Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the U.S. when it hit near Perry, Florida on September 26, bringing Category 4 strength winds and claiming the lives of at least 128 people. While much of the focus has been on the devastation in North Carolina, where residents are still struggling to restore power and access supplies, Florida also suffered significant damage. Automotive News reported that a Kia dealership in Florida was hit hard, with a total of 672 vehicles destroyed by the storm.
Ken Ganley, the owner of Ken Ganley Kia New Port Richey, shared that the floodwaters from the hurricane wiped out 660 new and used vehicles on the lot, along with 12 customer cars that were in for repairs. Insurance adjusters estimated the total value of the vehicles lost to be between $28 million and $30 million. With a $5,000 deductible for each totaled car, Ganley is looking at spending around $3.5 million just on deductibles.
Living in Ohio, Ganley received the news that his dealership had lost power and was submerged under four feet of water. The only vehicles that survived were those that employees managed to drive off-site. Despite reopening the dealership on September 29, they had very few cars left to sell, as one of the buildings was rendered unusable and cleanup efforts were still ongoing.
Ken Ganley Automotive Group, which operates over 50 dealerships and sold over 40,000 cars in 2023, will still remain financially stable even after the significant losses from Hurricane Helene. The road to recovery and rebuilding will be long and challenging, but Ganley’s resilience and resources will help him bounce back from this devastating blow. The impact of natural disasters like Helene serves as a reminder of the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of unforeseen challenges.
