Fla. Shops Still Recovering From Hurricane Michael

Jan. 16, 2019—Florida body shops are still experiencing a backlog of work after Hurricane Michael hit in Oct. 2018, reported the Tallahassee Democrat.

The near Category 5 hurricane made landfall Oct. 10 and carved a path of destruction as it moved northeast from Mexico Beach and Panama City Beach into the Big Bend and toward Georgia. Three months later, local auto repair businesses are feeling the pressure as they try to help Michael victims with few or no options in their hometowns. 

Shops like Body Builders Paint and Body are in a bind and take the work day by day, according to the report. Damage assessments based on photos have been misleading because they don't capture the true scale of what needs to be repaired. Katie Byler, owner of Body Builders Paint and Body, said that factor delayed the ability for jobs to be complete in her shop.

Byler said one car has been sitting in the shop since December and in the shop's 29 years, she was never before forced to tell a customer it may take a month or more before work can begin on a car. At other shops, technicians are working a month behind.