Some people needing help getting around town during the recent floods in Louisiana turned to rental cars and taxicab services, according to The Town Talk.

In Alexandria and Pineville, Louisiana, Avis and Budget rental officials said they had cars, but Avis rented only from the airport. Budget had about 10 cars left as of 2 p.m. on Sept. 3. Enterprise Rent-A-Car had no cars to rent at either of its locations.

The number of vehicles affected by the storms in Louisiana and the resulting wet weather might climb into the multiple thousands, though no official estimates have been announced, said Alexandria, Louisiana State Farm insurance agent Myron Lawson. Flooding has already wreaked havoc on an estimated 1,000 or more vehicles in the area.

Though some automobile claims came directly from Hurricane Gustav, flooding on Sept. 3 in the cities made the number of claims much higher, Lawson said.

The claims process has begun, but it could be days before claims adjusters can look at auto claims. It could be months before they finish, Lawson said.

Lawson said in The Town Talk article that anyone whose car is unusable because of flooding should try to prevent additional damage by keeping it on high ground. Sponge dry every area possible, vacuum out all possible water and shampoo the carpets, he advised.