More dealerships close as Tropical Storm Debby lingers over Southeast

Tropical Storm Debby's gusty winds and slow-moving rain bands moved over Georgia and South Carolina on Aug. 6 after forcing some dealerships in Florida to close the day before.

The storm struck Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Aug. 5. It was forecast to cause potentially historic flooding in Southeast cities, including Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., and linger over the Southeastern and mid-Atlantic coasts for days. At least six people had died in Florida and Georgia in the wake of the storm.

Used-vehicle retailer CarMax Inc. closed its dealerships in Savannah and Charleston on Aug. 6 because of inclement weather, a spokesperson told Automotive News via email. Its stores in Tallahassee, Fla., and Gainesville, Fla., reopened after being closed the previous day.

Ten to 20 inches of rain was expected to fall in parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina through Aug. 9 and cause catastrophic flooding, the National Hurricane Center said. The governors of those states had declared states of emergency.

John Policastro, president of the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, told Automotive News that the association was in touch with its state Business Emergency Operations Center and Department of Public Safety.

"What we're concerned with is the slow-moving nature of the storm," Policastro said.

He anticipated a heavy rain event, especially if Debby remained at tropical storm strength when it moves into North Carolina on Aug. 8 and 9.

Some dealerships on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh are close to a bridge over Crabtree Creek, a tributary of North Carolina’s Neuse River. In the past, rainfall from big storms has caused that area to flood, Policastro said. 

But the city has made improvements to the area in recent years, and the dealerships there are well-practiced in moving vehicles to avoid flood damage, he said.

"They're pretty in tune as to when that's necessary and have plans in place to do those kind of things," he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.