With the industry surveying damage in Florida as businesses in Georgia and the Carolinas brace to be in the storm’s path, the National Auto Auction Association (NAAA) made a call to help places impacted by Hurricane Ian.

NAAA said in an industry message sent on Friday morning that association leadership had been in contact with member auctions that have been affected as they work to assess the damage from the hurricane.

“NAAA is thinking of all our members who have been impacted by the storm,” the association said. “These are times when the spirit of our industry shines brightest. We know that our members are always eager to extend a helping hand when times get tough, and now is your chance to help.”

The organization reiterated the NAAA Disaster Relief Fund provides immediate assistance for member auctions and their team members left victims in the wake of a hurricane or other natural disaster.

“The fund ensures a ready cash reserve is on hand so we can be proactive and respond quickly when disasters arise. It is also a fund that can continue to grow so we can be prepared to face any emergency in the future,” NAAA said.

“Please consider donating to the fund to help your fellow industry members as they face the impacts of Hurricane Ian. Your generosity will help NAAA provide critical support to our colleagues not only now, but when future disasters occur,” the association continued.

Donations to the fund can be made online via this website.

“We are proud of our auction community’s resilience and willingness to extend a helping hand during tough times. Thank you for all that you do,” NAAA said.

Also arriving on Friday morning was an update to Auto Remarketing from Auction Management Solutions, which indicated the only client in the storm’s path was Richmond Auto Auction and “they are just expecting steady rain” at the Virginia facility.

Previous update

Hurricane Ian continued to bring torrential rain and stiff wind to Florida on Thursday before a projected turn toward Georgia and the Carolinas coming on Friday.

Auto Remarketing reached out to several wholesale market enterprises and learned that at least one place has been spared significant damage.

According to an update from America’s Auto Auction, company officials surveyed their Tampa Bay location. Fortunately, the company said the facility only sustained minor roof damage during the storm. 

The company also said AAA staff residing in the Tampa area are safe, although most individuals are without power. In fact, the Florida governor’s office reported that more than 2.5 million people were without electricity in the Sunshine State as of Thursday afternoon.

“We are tracking the storm and will assess our Jacksonville location as soon as possible. In Charleston and Savannah, we are taking necessary precautions as the storm is projected to hit Georgia and South Carolina,” AAA executive vice president and chief revenue officer Chuck Tapp said in the message sent to Auto Remarketing.

Meanwhile, ADESA has eight locations in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. A Carvana spokesperson sent this message on Thursday afternoon.

“The safety of our team and customers is critical. We continue to assess the impact of Hurricane Ian across all Carvana locations in accordance with our disaster preparedness plan, and we are prioritizing ongoing updates with customers and employees as needed.”

Later on Thursday afternoon, Cox Automotive sent Auto Remarketing an update from Tim Janego, who is the Manheim regional vice president for the Southeast.

“Due to the severe impact of Hurricane Ian, our human resources teams and auction leaders are working diligently to account for the safety and well-being of every Cox Automotive team member in the affected areas,” Janego said.

“At this time, seven Manheim locations in Florida are closed as we assess operational impact,” he continued. “These include Manheim Fort Myers, Manheim St. Pete, Manheim Tampa, Manheim Lakeland, Manheim Daytona Beach, Manheim Central Florida and Manheim Orlando. As some locations are offering digital only sales, we encourage our clients to visit the site’s location page at Manheim.com. 

“Our Atlanta-based corporate human resources team will provide relief resources and information to those members impacted by the storm, including directing them to the Cox Employee Relief Fund (available through Manheim’s parent company Cox Enterprises) which offers immediate financial assistance for unexpected needs,” Janego went on to say.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by this powerful storm,” he added.

In related news, RISC, which is headquartered in Tampa, already made an offer to help repossession agents in the Sunshine State.

Editor’s note: This report will be updated as more information becomes available.