Hurricanes leave a swath of destruction in their wake. Automotive data company Black Book claims that Hurricane Harvey in 2017 ruined up to one million vehicles, based on United States Today, and much more incurred harm. Some flood damaged vehicles are definitely fixable, which necessitates drying them out and making fixes before returning to the road again. When your insurer has totaled your vehicle, you could be able to recover it and complete the repairs nevertheless it will not be cheap or easy. Heres how to evaluate your car. Water Damage Assessment: Light, Moderate or Severe – Water brings life, but it might also bring destruction.
During storms, the most tiny cracks can be invaded by water settle in the reaches of your vehicle. Even small quantities of water can do considerable damage, destroying carpeting, rusting metal components and leaving behind dangerous mold which may spread undetected. By answering the following 3 questions, then you can figure out whether or not to proceed with fixes on your flood damaged automobile or if you regrettably have to say farewell to it. Was Your Automobile Fully Submerged? In case your vehicle sat up in water to the base of the wheels, even for several days, the worse problem you will probably face is rotting tires and rusting brakes.
Nevertheless, if your vehicle was submerged, water could have poured in throughout the vents and possibly throughout the sunroof, windows and trunk. Water from the engine bay and passenger compartment are able to pose a big threat to your car. How Long Was It Immersed? If you passed through high waters and rapidly returned to firm ground, the quantity of water taken in could be greatly limited. And on the other hand, if your vehicle sat for several days or only hours in water, the harm can be severe. Even a water-tight car is no match for time and tide.
What kind of Water Did the Car Sit in? Flood waters are never clean, but there’s a vast difference between muddy and salt water. Salt water is particularly corrosive and almost impossible to remove without completely rebuilding the vehicle. Even when it appears your car escaped relatively unscathed, rust might soon eat away your vehicle from the inside out. Step-by Step Cleanup Instructions – Any harm incurred is a huge deal. What you do when assessing your car could make a difference. Have a camera or smartphone prepared, because you will want to take pictures for insurance purposes. A smartphone can be the best choice here, as which will enable you to upload your images to the cloud for safety and easy retrieval later. While assessing your vehicles harm instantly after the flood, it can help to follow a few cleanup steps.
First, get the vehicle towed to Dry Land – You cannot accurately assess the problem if your vehicle is still sitting at a pool of water.