Automotive retailers along the northern Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were preparing their dealerships for severe weather Monday. While Tropical Storm Marco has weakened, all eyes remain on Laura, which was upgraded to a hurricane Tuesday.
Dealer associations in the affected states said that several members opted to close their doors Monday.
Mississippi dealer Bobby Dalgo closed his Crown Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram-Fiat store Monday afternoon to allow his employees to prepare their homes for the storms.
Marty Milstead, president of the Mississippi Automobile Dealers Association, said it was important for his members to “forget the cars and turn to the human element.”
To the west, Louisiana dealers are “hoping for the best but expecting the worst,” Will Green, president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association, told Automotive News.
“It’s one of the realities of southern Louisiana — you have to be good at hurricane preparedness.”
Green said that as of Monday night, dealers had not moved inventory or boarded windows, but dealers located in low-lying areas of Louisiana do have inventory-evacuation plans in place.
