Louisiana Insurance Chief Warns About Imelda’s Flooded Cars

Louisiana’s insurance commissioner is warning the state’s motorists to be cautious of buying used cars that could have been flooded in neighboring Texas by Tropical Storm Imelda.

Commissioner Jim Donelon says Louisiana consumers should look for signs of water damage in used vehicles they want to buy. Among the telltale signs, he says to look for stains, mildew, rust, mismatched carpet and dirt under seats.

Donelon says consumers should beware of deals that seem too good to be true. He’s urging used car shoppers to seek vehicle history reports and ask to see the physical title, which must show if a vehicle was declared a total loss.

Imelda’s remnants dumped more than 40 inches (102 centimeters) of rain in parts of Texas after the storm made landfall Sept. 17.