By Kelsey Hammon

kelsey.hammon@leaderpub.com

 

Traveling east or west on Texas State Highway 73, drivers are likely to speed by a 20-acre lot just off Wilber Road in Winnie.

The lot has become the resting place, but not the final destination for hundreds of vehicles damaged by the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey.

At this location, Insurance Auto Auctions, a car salvage company, manages the incoming cars. Inside the fenced in lot marked with no trespassing signs, workers in neon vests wave in car carriers, while tractors wheel around, moving the cars to and fro.

The cars arrive from a variety of places, though a number of them do come from Jefferson County, according to county commissioner Michael “Shane” Sinegal.

Local wrecker Chris Ramsey, who manages Johnny’s Towing and Recovery in Port Arthur, said since Harvey made landfall, he alone has pulled between 300 to 400 storm damaged cars off the roads in south Jefferson County. Ramsey said he has 16 other wreckers who work for his company that have also been towing storm-damaged vehicles. For about a month after the hurricane, Ramsey said wreckers were pulling between 12 to 15 hour shifts to keep up with demand.

Those cars are, of course, out of commission. They were turned over by responsible owners who were following the instructions of an insurance company. Other storm-damaged cars may face a very different fate because not every damaged car ends up at the lot of a local wrecker.

Some owners, for instance, will try and save their vehicles, though experts say this is probably a bad idea.

Jerry’s Automotive owner, Jerry Bellot, said most cars created after 1990 utilize a computers and electrical wiring to help run the car. In most cars, the computer is located under the driver’s seat.

With floodwaters reaching several feet in some areas of southeast Texas, cars that had water reach their floor boards are likely to have suffered irreplaceable damage, due to water corrosion. Bellot said it may take months before the water leeches into the system enough to damage it, therefore the car could appear to function fine—until it suddenly does not.

Stuart Salter, the owner of Julian Salter Company, a Port Arthur insurance business, including auto echoed this statement.

“We all know how well water and computers mix,” Salter said.

As a result, insurance agents inspecting flood damaged vehicles search for any signs of water damage.

“They [insurance agents] have been very cautious,” Salter said. “The fear is that even if it could be repaired and damage is discovered later on that would not be the best service of their customers.”

If the car has been deemed totaled, insurance clients are supposed to receive reimbursement for the value of the car before the damage based upon several guidelines and third-party software, such as JD Powers or National Auto Dealers Association.

Salter encouraged those that disagree with the amount they are offered for the car to consult another source, such as the dealer where they may have purchased the car or their local mechanic.

Salter has been in the insurance business for 30 years and is the fourth Salter family member to run the Port Arthur business. While Salter said his expertise is primarily in marine and construction insurance, he has worked with car insurance clients throughout his career and his several employees that specialize in the subject.

Once totaled, the car may end up on a lot like IAA. According to Salter, auction companies may take possession of the damaged cars and once they sell, the insurance company is able to redeem some of the sale.

In addition to the lot at IAA, cars may end up for auction at the Royal Purple Race Track, where more than 10,000 cars are being housed, according to Salter. They may also be taken to the Texas Motor Speedway, where Salter estimated 5,000 cars are stored.

Those who purchase salvaged cars should consult the cars records, Salter advised. If the car is from fall of 2017 from southeast Texas, an owner should have some inkling of how it ended up at an auction.

Other buyers might purchase and scrap the cars and sell the working parts.

Despite what they have been through, some of the cars totaled after the flood will likely end up on the road again. A quick browse of the IAA website and one can find the cars available for purchase on the company’s website. A spokesperson from the company could not be reached for comment. The company is headquartered in Westchester, Illinois and has more than 150 locations across the U.S. and Canada.