ATLANTA and SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -

Though there is no questioning the devastating impact Superstorm Sandy had up and down the East Coast, industry experts are saying the effect on the national new- and used-car markets may be more “modest than what's currently being reported.”

Kelly Blue Book and AutoTrader.com stressed that although current estimates state between 200,000 and 300,000 new and used vehicles were destroyed as a result of the storm, this number only represents 0.1 percent of the more than 240 million registered vehicles on the road.

"There's absolutely no question that Superstorm Sandy has had a devastating impact on those who live in the Northeast," said Chip Perry, president and chief executive officer at AutoTrader Group. "I've personally visited the area and spoken with many of our field sales representatives and customers, and it's clear that this event changed many of their lives.

"But when you look at the impact on the automotive industry, the fact is, the number of vehicles lost is too small of a fraction to significantly move the national market,” he added.

Experian Automotive also announced Thursday that while the total number of vehicles damaged by the storm is still unknown, “preliminary reports indicate that the number will be fewer than that of past hurricanes such as Katrina, Rita and Irene.”

And KBB backed up its assertions with data and analysis from the November Kelley Blue Book Market Report.

The company noted that the timing of the storm may lessen the effect.

Since the storm hit so late in the year, KBB.com analysts believe increased demand on the East Coast will only "mute" the market's typical decline through this time period; instead of a 1 to 2 percent decline, KBB.com experts now believe values will remain flat nationally.

And the company doesn’t expect used prices to spike to high as a result of the storm, either.

From a used-car pricing perspective, KBB senior market analyst Alec Gutierrez anticipates only modest market increases, $200 to $300 at most, isolated mainly in the Northeast region.

"When Hurricane Katrina hit, Kelley Blue Book Values increased more than 2 to 3 percent in the affected area from the time the storm hit until year-end," Gutierrez said. "This year, we believe that while we may see some price appreciation on the East Coast, from a national perspective, values will remain relatively flat."

As for AutoTrader.com, the site shared that shopping activity in the areas impacted by Sandy dipped several percentage points between Oct. 27 and Nov. 6 (during and immediately following the storm).

That said, this number rebounded by Nov. 8 and looked much the same as the areas Hurricane Sandy missed.

“On Nov. 10, shopping activity began to increase very slightly nationally and in the impacted areas, however, AutoTrader.com analysts believe it's still too early to assess if this is indicative of a more sustained trend or if the rise can be directly attributed to Superstorm Sandy,” officials said.

And though both the companies agree that the impact of the hurricane on the industry may be smaller than expected, “the impact of Superstorm Sandy is just now starting to be felt in the market and it will take months before the total effects will be fully comprehended.”

Gutierrez said, "It's going to take time for impacted consumers to get back in the market. Some may have been able to get a replacement vehicle immediately, but many others could be waiting for their insurance check or unfortunately have to focus on repairing damage to their home. We're going to be keeping a close eye on this in the months ahead."

Experian Stresses Dangers of Retitled Vehicles Damaged by Hurricane Sandy

Though the numbers suggest the impact on the industry will be lesser than storms in the nation’s recent past, flood-damaged vehicles still remain a concern.

And Superstorm Sandy has increased the potential for these vehicles to find their way into the market.

Offering some background information, research through Experian Automotive's AutoCheck database has shown that more than 1.6 million cars and trucks throughout the United States were designated as damaged by accidents or severe weather, including hurricanes, tornadoes or flooding, in the first half of 2012.

“Of those, more than 425,000 — nearly 27 percent — lost their damage designation, or brand, when they were retitled as clean in another state,” officials said.

Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive, commented on the issue, saying, "In the wake of any natural disaster, consumers need to be acutely aware that there will be damaged vehicles out there that will be cleaned up and sold to unsuspecting buyers.

"With such a large number of title-washed vehicles on the road today, consumers need to arm themselves with as much information as possible when shopping for a used vehicle. An AutoCheck vehicle history report includes past title brands and designations of prior damage, providing used vehicle shoppers with the peace of mind that the vehicle they are buying is reliable and, most importantly, safe,” he continued.

To help further protect consumers against purchasing a potentially damaged vehicle, Experian Automotive is launching a free online tool called Storm Scan.

This tool can identify if a vehicle has suffered any major damage events possibly caused from the storm or whether the vehicle has been titled/registered within the affected area in the past 12 months, the company shared.

Moreover, the company is offering AutoCheck vehicle history reports at a 15 percent discount for all consumers in the counties recently declared federal disaster areas.