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The Kia New Port Richey dealership experienced a devastating event. Image source: Kia New Port Richey. |
According to Carscoops, the Kia New Port Richey dealership was housing a total of 672 Kia vehicles in its inventory. This included 660 dealership-owned cars and 12 customer vehicles that were at the dealership for servicing.
On the morning of September 27, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, resulting in a power outage in the entire area near the Port Richey dealership.
The dealership was surrounded by floodwaters, with water levels rising to over 1.2 meters. According to Ken Ganley, owner of the dealership, more than 500 new and 160 used Kia vehicles were estimated to be completely damaged. Most of the vehicles sustained flood damage, while some caught fire and deployed their airbags as the storm hit.
Ganley, the dealership’s owner, shared with local media that the cost of the damage, after insurance deductions, is estimated to be over $3.5 million. “On September 27, I received a call that the store had been hit by a hurricane and that all the cars were damaged. We had cars that caught fire and deployed their airbags. New cars were floating around the building, and there was nothing anyone could do to change the situation,” Ganley recounted.
In the aftermath of the hurricane, Kia promptly delivered 15 new vehicles to the Port Richey dealership to help them get back on their feet and resume operations quickly.
Carscoops reported that an additional 300-400 new and 100 used vehicles are expected to be transported from dealerships in Ohio to Florida as soon as possible to make up for the lost inventory.
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