Florida dealers brace as Hurricane Michael hits landfall

Hurricane Michael is hitting Florida's Panhandle as a Category 4 storm with winds of 100 mph or more, as many dealership owners in its path brace for what the National Hurricane Center is calling a "potentially catastrophic" storm.As of 1:31 p.m. ET, The Weather Channel reported that the eye of the hurricane was hitting the Florida Panhandle coast near Mexico Beach. As of 4 p.m., the National Hurricane Center recorded maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. For more live coverage from The Weather Channel, click here.The eye of the hurricane was moving inland by late afternoon, approaching Interstate 10. Areas of Georgia and the Carolinas were in the storm's path over the next few days. Cox Automotive Industry Insights estimates the vehicle loss from Hurricane Michael will range from about 10,000 to 20,000 vehicles, as the quick-moving storm is set to hit an area of Florida that is not densely populated. That estimate is about half of the estimated vehicle loss from Hurricane Florence, which hit North Carolina last month.Many dealerships in Panama City closed Tuesday to prepare for the storm, including Panama City Toyota, while Bill Cramer Chevrolet-Buick-GMC shut down around early Tuesday. CarMax also closed three stores in Tallahassee and Pensacola, Fla., and Dothan, Ala., by mid-Tuesday afternoon ahead of the storm.Sonic Automotive Inc. operates Pensacola Honda and Audi Pensacola. Sonic President Jeff Dyke in a text message Tuesday said the dealership group was taking normal precautions for the two stores. He could not immediately be reached for further comment.A message on Pensacola Honda's website said, "We will be closed Wednesday to allow our associates time to prepare for the storm and will reopen Thursday as soon as it's safe for our team and valued customers." Audi Pensacola's website said the store was closed because of inclement weather. AutoNation closed its Ford Panama City dealership Monday night to give employees time to prepare for their own personal situations, said Marc Cannon, AutoNation's chief marketing officer. AutoNation has a team on the ground that will be mobilized once the storm passes to begin the re-opening the store and working with the dealership's associates, he said.

Florida dealers brace as Hurricane Michael hits landfall

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