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from the random-and-intermittent-failures dept.
https://qz.com/1066966/how-many-cars-were-destroyed-by-hurricane-harvey/ and also at other news outlets.
For Harvey victims, it's going to be rough if they lost their car, Houston is a very car-dependent city. Like many states, Texas only requires liability insurance — only those that bought comprehensive coverage will be able to claim the loss on insurance.
Ideally most of these flooded cars will be scrapped, as it's very likely water damage to electrical systems and other parts are not cost effective to repair professionally. However, there will be "new" and used cars on the market that have been underwater (to a greater or lesser extent). Many will be sold "as is" and some of them will be cleaned up and sold fraudulently as if they were not damaged. Buyer beware, these cars will be shipped all over in search of buyers (marks?)
After Katrina, friends of mine with time on their hands bought several new-flooded Honda Civics (which they were familiar with from building "street stock" race cars). They pulled out the interior and then the full wiring harness. Bought new harness from Honda and replaced everything, and had perfectly good near-new cars for pennies on the dollar (and a few days of hard labor).
(Score: 3, Insightful) by driverless on Monday September 04 2017, @01:26AM
A general thought on the OP:
While I have genuine sympathy for people who were caught out by events that were entirely beyond their control, I just can't seem to work up much of it for those who deliberately chose to not insure their car against damage/loss. You made that decision, now you have to deal with it.
Before I get downmodded for this, I have complete sympathy for all the victims of Harvey, I just can't work up much of it for people who have made a conscious decision not to protect themselves through something as simple and basic as getting insurance on the second most valuable item they own (after their home, if they're not renting).