For the insurance to pay, the cars will be totaled which requires a "salvage" Texas retitle. What the skunks do is go to a state which does not require the salvage to be stated on the new title. Whenever you buy a used car, it's a good idea to inspect the undercarriage and wiring for corrosion. And yes, Houston actually has about 8 times the population of pre-Katrina NO, which is less now.Katrina wiped out half a million cars. Houston has 5 times more people.
"Then, for the 'less reputable' used car dealers, no good crisis can be allowed to go to waste. As carfax points out, if previous hurricanes are any example, roughly half of the cars flooded by Hurricane Harvey will eventually be sold with no flood label to unsuspecting consumers."