After hurricanes Florence and Michael tore through the Carolinas, Florida, and Georgia, some 478,661 flooded vehicles are back in use on roadways, according to new data from Carfax. That number translates into a whopping 47% increase over 2017, notes the report.

At least 107,000 cars flooded during Hurricane Florence alone, according to Carfax. Add to that the damage caused by Hurricane Michael to vehicles in the Florida panhandle and surrounding states.

Floodwater makes several negative impacts on a motor vehicle. For starters, it can corrode metal, cause engine seizure or failure, and short-circuit a vehicle's electrical systems. 

But vehicle owners should be particularly aware of the safety issues that flooding can cause. For example, warped and rusted brakes and rotors, ABS malfunction and airbag/restraint system failure can all follow after a vehicle has flooded.

The report also assesses vehicle flooding by city. In 2018, Houston ranked number one with 127,605 flooded vehicles still in operation. Others among the top 10 list of cities with the highest number of flooded vehicles in circulation include New York (17,110), Miami-Fort Lauderdale (15,607), Philadelphia (14,869), and Dallas-Fort Worth (12,265).