Vehicle Remarketing Logo

Hurricane Irma Could Wipe out 400,000 Vehicles

As many as 400,000 vehicles in Florida will need to be replaced as a result of Hurricane Irma, including as many as 11,000 fleet vehicles, according to Cox Automotive.

September 13, 2017
Hurricane Irma Could Wipe out 400,000 Vehicles

Photo of replacement rental vehicles being transported to the Houston area courtesy of Enterprise Holdings.

2 min to read


Photo of replacement rental vehicles being transported to the Houston area courtesy of Enterprise Holdings.

As many as 400,000 vehicles in Florida will need to be replaced as a result of Hurricane Irma, including as many as 11,000 fleet vehicles, according to Cox Automotive.

When added to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey in southeastern Texas, Smoke estimates that as many as 1 million vehicles will need to be replaced as a result of the two storms.

Ad Loading...

Much of Hurricane Irma's damage came in the southwest Florida, including the Florida Keys, Fort Myers, and Tampa. Commercial fleets likely suffered the brunt of the storm's impact, as larger rental operators mostly moved their vehicles into parking garages to protect them from the wind and rain.

"We were able to move most of the units to cover and they weren't damaged or flooded out," said Lisa Martini, an Enterprise spokesperson. "That made a big difference for us."

Hertz also saw minimal damage to its rental fleet in Florida, said Karen Drake, a spokesperson for Hertz Holdings.

Enterprise has reopened most of its Florida offices, except for those in Naples and Key West, where it operates airport rental facilities at Key West International Airport and Florida Keys Marathon Airport. Enterprise plans to reopen its Naples location on Thursday.

Unlike Hurricane Harvey, which caused heavy flooding, Hurricane Irma damaged vehicles with high-speed winds and heavy rainfall. And the storm's move north along the Gulf Coast side of the state likely resulted in a lesser impact on commercial vehicles, said Jonathan Smoke, Cox Automotive's chief economist.

Ad Loading...

"Hopefully with the significant preparation time, the losses will be to the low end of the range," Smoke said. "The westward track helped to avoid more damage in Orlando, which is home to more than a third of the total fleet in Florida."

Vehicles in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina saw only a "small amount of damage," Smoke said.

In Texas, Hurricane Harvey likely damaged between 320,000 and 580,000 vehicles with fleet making up between 12,000 and 21,500 units. Enterprise Holdings reported it had lost 3,000 rental vehicles, while Hertz reported a loss of 500 units in Texas.

Rental operators began shipping thousands of units into Texas following the storm to meet demand for insurance replacement vehicles. Enterprise sent 17,000 vehicles to the state, the company announced.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

More Operations

Blue bar graphs showing changes in wholesale used vehicle prices based on vehicle segments.
Auctionsby News/Media ReleaseJuly 9, 2026

Manheim Index Shows Used-Vehicle Wholesale Prices Up 2.1% in June

The market is seeing stronger appreciation in older used vehicles this year, and the most affordable segments have been among the year’s best performers.

Read More →
Green and black bar graphs showing 2026 versus 2025 fleet sales.
Fleetby Martin RomjueJuly 8, 2026

Commercial Fleet Sales Contribute To June, YTD Gains

The fleet sector has boosted its vehicle purchases at a reliable pace in the first half of this year compared with 1H 2025.

Read More →
Bright green electric vehicle plugged into a charger inside a service and reconditioning facility, with additional vehicles lined up in the background.
OperationsJuly 1, 2026

Stop Remarketing Electric Vehicles Like Gas Cars

The advantages and attributes of electric vehicles are upending the traditional remarketing cycle, requiring fleet sellers to rely on new factors and approaches detailed below.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic featuring the Work Truck logo above the headline "Maximize Asset Value" over a blurred image of white commercial box trucks lined up in a fleet parking area. The graphic accompanies a story about AP Fleet Management's expanded remarketing program for commercial work trucks and fleet vehicles.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherJune 29, 2026

AP Fleet Management Expands Remarketing Program for Commercial Work Trucks

AP Fleet Management expanded its commercial vehicle remarketing program with dedicated resale services and an online marketplace for used work trucks.

Read More →
Vertical dark blue graphs showing new and used EV sales
Fleetby News/Media ReleaseJune 16, 2026

Used EVs Strengthen Overall Electric Vehicle Market

The latest sales data point to several reasons for the divergent trends in new and used EVs that can factor into fleet cycling decisions.

Read More →
A double-decker stinger car hauler carries a full load of new white vehicles along an interstate highway.
FleetJune 1, 2026

The Data-Driven Haul: 5 Ways AI is Leveling the Playing Field in Auto Transport

Large and small transport fleets are becoming more competitive as predictive analytics and real-time data inform the logistics decision chain.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Image of three award winners at 2026 CAR
Operationsby Faith HowellMay 6, 2026

2026 CAR Awards Celebrate Industry Excellence

CAR’s annual Fleet Remarketing Awards opened a reimagined 2026 conference designed to bridge the worlds of fleet management and automotive remarketing.

Read More →
collage of conference speakers
Operationsby Chris BrownApril 30, 2026

CAR 2026 Recap Part 2: Closing the Gap Between Data & Remarketing Value

The second half of CAR 2026 examined how fleets can translate lifecycle strategy, vehicle data, and market shifts into higher real-world results.

Read More →
Collage of CAR speakers
Used Vehicle Valuesby Chris BrownApril 27, 2026

CAR2026 in Two Words: Velocity, Value (Part 1)

The 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing convened with a mandate to involve a new constituency — fleet managers — and an updated mission to demonstrate unrealized value in de-fleeted vehicles.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic promoting CAR 2026 roundtables featuring headshots of five speakers and topics including Wall Street trends, fleet data, upfits, fair market value, and AI in remarketing.
Operationsby Chris BrownMarch 31, 2026

CAR 2026: Get the Wall Street Update on the Key Players in Remarketing

From a Wall Street analyst's take on remarketing's key players to whether fleets need their own version of Carfax, CAR 2026's afternoon roundtables will answer key operational and industry questions.

Read More →