Ken Ganley Kia New Port Richey, part of the Ken Ganley Automotive Group, suffered losses between $28 million and $30 million. The dealership lost power in the early morning hours of September 27, and soon after, floodwaters rose to 4 feet (1.2 meters) in some areas.
The destruction included 500 new Kia models, 160 used vehicles, and 12 customer cars in for service. Most vehicles got flood damage, but some caught fire, and others had their airbags deploy.
Ken Ganley, the owner of the dealership group, said:
"It was about 6 a.m., and I looked at my phone, and said, 'Oh, God, something's wrong. We did have cars that caught fire. We had multiple cars where the airbags blew. We had cars floating around the property. I'm in Ohio, so you can just look at your computer screen. This is just one of those things that's hard to get your head around. We're going to make sure that all of our employees continue to be paid, and we're going to find our way through it. We're gonna do the best we can."
Ganley will have to pay $3.5 million in insurance deductibles. To help the dealership recover, Kia sent 15 vehicles the next day and plans to send 300 to 400 more. The Ken Ganley Automotive Group will also ship 100 used vehicles from its Ohio stores.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, has caused widespread destruction across six Southeastern states. The death toll has surpassed 130 people.
Source: Autonews
