LAFAYETTE, La. -- After Hurricane Lili pummeled southern Louisiana on Oct. 3, local car rental operators found themselves deluged with requests for replacement cars.

"The hurricane came right through Lafayette and a lot of big trees came down. There was a lot of wind damage," explained Ted Thrasher, a Rent-A-Wreck franchisee in Lafayette. "Many customers are renting cars because their car was smashed by a tree or their carport was smashed with their car pinned underneath."

As a result, many operators in the region have rented out their entire fleet.

"Every time I answer the phone the first thing the caller says is, 'Do you have any cars available?' So you know they've been told no elsewhere," Thrasher said.

The hurricane's devastation caused some rental companies to close for business temporarily. But when they reopened, demand was at an all-time high.

"Of course we were closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. But on Monday, all of our cars were out before noon," said Craig Duhon, a Rent-A-Wreck employee in New Iberia, La.