Hurricane Irma Could Wipe out 400,000 Vehicles
As many as 400,000 vehicles in Florida will need to be replaced as a result of Hurricane Irma, including as many as 11,000 fleet vehicles, according to Cox Automotive.

Photo of replacement rental vehicles being transported to the Houston area courtesy of Enterprise Holdings.

Photo of replacement rental vehicles being transported to the Houston area courtesy of Enterprise Holdings.
As many as 400,000 vehicles in Florida will need to be replaced as a result of Hurricane Irma, including as many as 11,000 fleet vehicles, according to Cox Automotive.
When added to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey in southeastern Texas, Smoke estimates that as many as 1 million vehicles will need to be replaced as a result of the two storms.
Much of Hurricane Irma's damage came in the southwest Florida, including the Florida Keys, Fort Myers, and Tampa. Commercial fleets likely suffered the brunt of the storm's impact, as larger rental operators mostly moved their vehicles into parking garages to protect them from the wind and rain.
"We were able to move most of the units to cover and they weren't damaged or flooded out," said Lisa Martini, an Enterprise spokesperson. "That made a big difference for us."
Hertz also saw minimal damage to its rental fleet in Florida, said Karen Drake, a spokesperson for Hertz Holdings.
Enterprise has reopened most of its Florida offices, except for those in Naples and Key West, where it operates airport rental facilities at Key West International Airport and Florida Keys Marathon Airport. Enterprise plans to reopen its Naples location on Thursday.
Unlike Hurricane Harvey, which caused heavy flooding, Hurricane Irma damaged vehicles with high-speed winds and heavy rainfall. And the storm's move north along the Gulf Coast side of the state likely resulted in a lesser impact on commercial vehicles, said Jonathan Smoke, Cox Automotive's chief economist.
"Hopefully with the significant preparation time, the losses will be to the low end of the range," Smoke said. "The westward track helped to avoid more damage in Orlando, which is home to more than a third of the total fleet in Florida."
Vehicles in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina saw only a "small amount of damage," Smoke said.
In Texas, Hurricane Harvey likely damaged between 320,000 and 580,000 vehicles with fleet making up between 12,000 and 21,500 units. Enterprise Holdings reported it had lost 3,000 rental vehicles, while Hertz reported a loss of 500 units in Texas.
Rental operators began shipping thousands of units into Texas following the storm to meet demand for insurance replacement vehicles. Enterprise sent 17,000 vehicles to the state, the company announced.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
More Rental Operations

Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise 3.6% in 2026 Before Easing in 2027
Car rental rates are projected to rise less than airfares and hotel rates in 2026, then become the only major travel category forecast to decline in 2027, according to projections from GBTA and ALTOUR.
Read More →
Avis Cuts Fleet as Summer Demand Trails Expectations
Avis Budget Group increased second-quarter earnings despite lower Americas revenue and softer-than-expected summer demand. The company also expanded Avis First and advanced its autonomous fleet operations with Waymo.
Read More →
Why Bookings Are Only the Start of the Rental Day
A reservation captures demand. The operating test is whether the business can keep the customer, vehicle, commercial terms, and next action aligned until the rental is closed.
Read More →
This Is the Oldest Car Rental Advertisement You’ll Ever See
This ad for Saunders Drive it Yourself, believed to be the first car rental company in the U.S., was found in an Omaha phone book from 1926.
Read More →
The Desk Upsell Is Costing Operators More Than it Earns
Counter upsells generate revenue, but they can also slow transactions, erode trust, and cost repeat business. Fully inclusive pricing may offer operators a better path to long-term value.
Read More →
U-Save Expands Indian Ocean Presence with New Master Franchise for Mauritius
The franchise has been acquired by Mauritian travel entrepreneur Umarfarooq Omarjee, an established figure in the island's tourism and mobility sector.
Read More →
Global Carsharing Fleet Projected to Reach 768,000 Vehicles By 2030
A new Berg Insight forecast outlines several business models driving the projected growth in public carsharing worldwide through 2029.
Read More →
Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength
June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.
Read More →
Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport
The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.
Read More →
Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry
Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.
Read More →
