CLEARWATER, Fla. — Because dealerships are starting to see a spike in demand after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, drivers needing a new car after the storms may want to look sooner rather than later.

What You Need To Know

  • Car dealerships are seeing more demand since Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the Tampa Bay area

  • Dimmitt Chevrolet CFO Bobby Johnson says sales are up 50% since the storms

  • He said many of the sales don’t involve trade-ins, indicating that many cars have may have been totaled by storm damage

Dealerships are seeing more demand after flooding and storm damage caused many cars to be totaled.

Dimmitt Chevrolet CFO Bobby Johnson says he has been in the car business for more than 40 years.

In that time, working through back-to-back hurricanes is not something he’s had to do very often.

“It is impacting all phases of our business,” Johnson said of his Clearwater dealership.

From supply chain to inventory to service calls, he said they’re adjusting to those storm impacts at the dealership.

But Johnson says one thing is clear: People need cars right now.

“It’s been really quite remarkable and immediate,” he said. “People are dependent on their transportation. And when they lose it and they have insurance, they’re going to come in and get what’s available.”

He said sales have been up 50% since the storms came through, and he's seeing similar trends in the industry in other areas.

Johnson said one thing that has stood out to him is that many of the recent sales have not involved a trade-in.

“What we’re seeing now is maybe 10% of the sales have a trade-in," he said. "It’s indicative of the problem of people losing their cars and being totaled. So there’s nothing to trade in."

So far, he said the dealership has been able to keep up with the demand, but he’s certainly keeping a closer eye on their inventory.

“It’s a little bit different — little bit unique," he said. "If it continues for an extended period, it could have an effect on available inventories for people."

For anyone looking to get a new car, Johnson recommended trying to do that soon.