Wow! Thank you Jesus for lives preserved and for hope for tomorrow. Now this tells us how our precious possessions today can easily become a pile of junk tomorrow. How we need to learn to stack our treasures in heaven and not here on earth.
May God give us wisdom in all of these things, Amen.

Now these calls for Thanksgiving!

I have a thought that I haven't seen expressed anywhere before. During the flood, I've heard MANY comments that people couldn't leave the area because they were too poor to have cars. If this is so, please explain to me where all these, as I read it, thousands of "flood cars" are coming from. I don't mean to be harsh on anyone who was wiped out but I do think something is not quite right here.

"How did it get there??" speaks volumes. This terrible tragety is only magnified more by the stories of the survivors. As one of millions who could only watch on TV as this ocurred, I realize that not enough has been done for these people, thanks in part to funds being diverted to other countries. Here in Canada, we learned recently of an aboriginal community, basically in the middle of nowhere, placed there by our federal government, and their drinking water is tainted by e-coli and their living conditions are horrible! When will governments take care of their own? I realize the tragities abroad are bad, but what about the people who's taxes are paying for these "democratic solutions" overseas.

We were sorry when it happened,
While we kind of forget,
People are getting on with rebuilding for years to come.

Deeply Interesting reminders

As I have read through all of these posts, I have seen several people advise getting Carfax reports before you buy a car. I hate to burst your bubble, but most of the time, Carfax or Equifax reports are not worth the paper they are printed on. They depend on dealers & auto repair shops to report accident or mechanical repairs & the sad truth is that very few of the auto repair businesses actually take time to accurately report repairs that they make to a vehicle. I have personally ran the vin number on at least 6 vehicles that I knew had major accident or mechanical reconstruction & have never found any of it reported on a Carfax report. The bottom line is that you really need to pay attention when you buy a car & if you are fortunate enough to know a good mechanic that you trust, let them look a vehicle over before you spend your hard earned money.

So glad tp know you are ok Frank, been a while since I have seen you, I live in Australia now, but my children are still where you are and are safe, Happy Thanksgiving, (Rinnie)

I watch every day in the 9th Ward as trucks bring hundreds of flattened cars through the area for processng. The state of LA just had an article in the Picayune newspaper about their own efforts to curtail the resale issue. I don't have the article in front of me, but those interested should contact the Times-Picayune here in the New Orleans area to inquire about the details of it.

Unfortunately we don't all live by the creed do unto others as you would have done unto yourself if that were the case all of those cars would be junked and the insurance would provide the service we pay them year after year to provide to us. How many years do a good many of us pay into insurance without ever making a claim. Remember don't do to others what you don't want to have done to you! KARMA has a way of coming back and biting you in the @$$.

Any classic cars for sale? Those are always worth something, especially if it has good parts or fresh water damage. Lets export these babies to south and central america, they will fix em and run em till they die :)

In 2001 tripical storm Allison hit Texas and also damaged 100's of cars. The State of Texas established a website that listed each and every car and truck that was damaged to the extent that the insurance compaby totalled it, which is a very high percentage. It is not perfect but by establishing this site even the crooks that were able to "wash" the title could not get around the database.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/vtr/flood/flddamg.htm

And those buying cars on E-bay, can't you double check on those to make sure they're not a flood/hurricane vehicle. If you buy something that is and pay for it, can't you get your money back from E-bay. Seems like to me the product should be sold 100% satisfactorily w/no fraud involved.

Beautiful words Pastor Akin, and well put. A safeguard to avoiding one of these cars is to simply postpone your purchase for a year. By that time, the salt water damage to the electricals will be readily apparant.

I FIND AFTER READING THIS AGAIN THAT A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD SOME VERY GOOD SUGGESTIONS SUCH AS A LINK TO ANY CARS SOLD OR RELEASED FROM THE STORM STUCK AREAS. ALTHOUGH MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO ALL THAT HAVE STRUGGLED THROUGH THIS TRAGIDY PASSING THE BUCK TO OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IS NOT AN OPTION!!! WE ALL TO THE MOST PART PAY INSURRANCE FOR OUR CARS AND TRUCKS OR WHAT EVER WE DRIVE BUT WHEN THE INSURANCE COMPANIES RELESE THESE VEHICALS MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE A CLAIMER THAT WHO EVER BUYS THE VEHICAL THAT THEY WOULD BE PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WILL-BEING OF THE SAME UNIT THAT THEY DISCARDED AND MADE MONEY ON THEM SELVES. YOU DONT HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THEY JUST TOTAL A CAR OR TRUCK AND JUST SEND IT TO THE SALVAGE YARD DO YOU!!!!!??????? GET REAL. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT 70-90 PERCENT OF WHAT IS PICKED UP FOR SALVAGE OR RECLAIMING THAT SOMEBODY IS GETTING A KICK BACK. I HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 27 YEARS AND TRULEY KNOW HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED.ITS A SHAME THAT PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHERS LIKE THIS BUT LETS FACE IT USED CAR SALESMEN JOKES CAME FROM SOMEWHERE. DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN TREATED FAIRLY WHEN YOU BUY A NEW VEHICAL AT TODAYS PRICES LET ALONE ONE THAT MAY VERY WELL SEND YOU TO THE POOR HOUSE TRYING TO KEEP IT ON THE ROAD AFTER YOU BOUGHT IT.A GENTALMEN IN THIS SIGHT TALKED ABOUT BUYING A MERCADES AND THEN SPENDING 10000 DOLLARS ON IT AFTER HE FOUND OUT IT WAS A KATRINA CAR.WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! DID HE REALLY GET A DEAL OR WHAT.ITS TIME THE LITTLE PEOPLE SPEAK UP ABOUT WHAT IS BEING ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO THE TIPICAL AMERICAN AND TO US AS TAX PAYERS. THEY CAN TELL US WHO TO SEE AS A DOCTOR OR HOW MUCH THEY WILL PAY FOR CERTAIN PROCIDIERS BUT THEYLL STICK IT TO WHEN WHEN EVER THEY CAN. OR IS THIS WHOLE THING MY SICK SORT OF THINKING??? I DONT THINK SO

Wow, Frank! I think your story generated the most postings of all on this site. With so many years of car experience and knowledge of the coast, no one could have said it better than you.

Call Experian Automotive for an Autocheck vehicle history report or check out their website:
www.autocheck.com or call 888.409.2204.

I'd just like to find my truck that stayed dry in Katrina in Bay St. Louis only to be stolen from my drive way - it even had a full tank of gas! Any suggestions - imagine, a Katrina truck with no water damage.

We are looking for a water damaged Ford Excursion. WE totaled our Excursion and have the motor, interior, etc. Just looking for a body. Any ideas?

I represent a company interested in buying Corvettes that were new at the time of Katrina that were on dealer lots or in storage. My client is a thirty-year old specialty restoration firm that is interested in disassembling the vehicles and restoring them to concours condition using production line quality control. The technical problems can be solved in conjuction with GM.

All vehicles must be in restorable condition or have salvage titles for parts only. Principals only: dealers, insurance companies, GM representatives or other owners. May be able to purchase 50 to 100 vehicles subject to inspection. Refer this information as appropriate. 2005 or 2006 Corvettes only with less than 2,000 miles will be considered.

Send information to emartinezhmb@aol.com. All vehicles will have photos taken of the restoration and there will be full disclosure of all relevant information to the buyers.

Hi I work for a car dealer ship in fort wayne indiana and one of the owners bought a truck from the auction. The other owner and I seem to think it might be a flood truck, because its a indiana title, but it has a TN address on it and usually your not aloud to do that. How do we check to see if it is a flood car for free?

I have two Lincoln cars that have been in storage in Biloxi, MS for many years. One, a 1972 Mark IV, has only 37,230 original miles. The other one is a 1966 four-door. The warehouse they are in got 7 feet of Katrina water. Can anybody use these cars for parts?

I've had better luck buying salvage cars and fixing them rather than trusting the used car salesperson to tell the truth. They all were fixed by me with used parts. These included crashed, flooded, burnt, vandalized and rolled over damage. Just because you don't have the time to fix it yourself, don't deny others who want to save money and drive a late model car for less than half of retail. Everyone who lost a vehicle knows what a pain it is to deal with the insurance company to be made whole. Passing more laws will only make insurance premiums higher. Those in the media that make a large share of the income from automobile ads are the ones who are squawking the loudest. I have a saltwater car right now that I've driven over 100,000 miles. Beware of all used car salespersons.

Are all the cars with flood marks bad. I have a 2004 accord ex coupe fully loaded. perfect running condition in ever aspect with navigation and only 23k on it. It has a flood mark from around the jacksonville mississippi area. When the dealer got the car it had a broken back glass 2 1/4 windows and drivers side glass, and looked like it had been in a hail storm due to a few little dings on the rear deck lid and driver side quater panel. But they are very small kind of like a wood pecker pecked on it. They want 14k for the car.. The dealer said it ran fine when they got it they just replaced the windows and it has been driven to and from the lot for the past 3 weeks 80 miles one way. I know everyone is warning against these cars but has anyone had any that run fine and dont have problems?

A friend just bought a "new" car last night at a dealer here in NC. It's a 2005 with only 125 miles on it. The body looks good but today in the light we saw that the wheels have a lot of rust. I also noticed rust on a bolt on the hatch. How can we find out where this car was originally shipped? Concerned it may have come from a Katrina dealer. VIN number came up with no history

To all those that want a good deal from Katrina cars. Don't do it, there is no such thing as a good deal on a Katrina car. It might run good for a short period of time but then the problems will start and they will never stop. To the lady that wanted a body off a Katrina car, what do you think that the salt water will do to the metal body of the car, yes it will rust away, slowly but surely. Plain and simple don't buy a Katrina car and think that you can make it work because it will not happen. I'm a insurance adjuster and I totaled out close to 200 cars and I would not want one of them, I have seen what salt water does to a car and it isn't a pretty sight at all. If you will take time and look at a car for signs of rust and dirt where it shouldn't be,that would be the safest thing, don't depend on car fax and the other compaines that do that sort of checking to be dependable way to check a car out. SIMPLY PUT HAVE A MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT AFTER ALL HE IS LOOKING AT THE CAR, NOT SOME COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT DEPENDS ON HUMANS TO INPUT INFORMATION !!!!