Vehicle owners face massive delays as post-storm repairs hit breaking point: 'Normal volume of work has … multiplied'

The effects of Hurricane Helene, which carved a destructive path through the Southeastern United States in September, are still being felt. Vehicle repair shop owners are reporting wait lists of up to three months, per Autobody News.

What's happening?

It could cost up to $250 billion to repair all the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. As AccuWeather reports, it was the second-deadliest hurricane (after Katrina) in 50 years. Enough rain fell in 48 hours to fill Lake Tahoe, and tens of thousands of vehicles were damaged. Around 138,000 cars were directly impacted by flooding across six states.

Storm debris damaged many other cars, and several months later, body shops in Georgia are struggling to cope with the workload. "Normal volume of work has been multiplied by seven or eight," one business owner told Autobody News.

A big part of the problem is that the components needed for repairs, including roofs, aren't usually stocked in large quantities. This means they need to be built to order, which is causing work orders to pile up. Processing all the insurance claims further compounds the delays.

Why is the long-term impact of a hurricane meaningful?

Rising global temperatures increase the severity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes. The overheating planet is like "steroids for weather," according to journalist and climate tech investor Molly Wood, and it's driven by human activity. The world's overreliance on dirty energy sources is leading to warmer oceans, rising sea levels, and the loss of crucial carbon-sequestering permafrost.

This story shows that the immediate aftermath of a hurricane is only part of the problem. The downstream effects of a natural disaster aren't always apparent until months later, and cleaning up disaster debris can take months, if not years.

Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?

Extreme weather events are causing rises in insurance premiums, and as the planet warms, more people are put in danger by more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires, for example.

What can be done to reduce the harm of hurricanes?

Preparation and preventative measures can help mitigate the damage done in the short and medium term. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends identifying risks to your home and property before hurricane season.

In the long term, everyone can contribute to reducing the impact of polluting energy sources. This can involve installing solar panels along with a battery system, which can make your home more resilient in the face of extreme weather events and extended power outages while decreasing your power bill.

Residential solar and other sustainable home improvements help protect the planet and save homeowners a bundle. Lots of these upgrades come with incentives to lower the initial costs. EnergySage provides a free service that compares quotes from trusted local installers, saving you up to $10,000 on a solar installation.