Hurricane Helene causes rental car shortages

Reporter: Emma Heaton Writer: Emma Heaton
Published: Updated:

Hurricane Helene has left a lasting impact on Southwest Florida, including the rental car situation at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW).

Many rental car companies’ websites show they have no cars available for immediate booking.

A quick check of rental services at RSW shows that popular companies like Enterprise, Dollar, Hertz, National, SIXT, Thrifty, and Fox are sold out.

One car rental company receptionist said by phone that the shortage is due to many people booking in advance ahead of the storm, although no reports have confirmed damage to the cars from flooding.

At last check, Alamo had one type of economy car available, while Payless and Easirent still had a few choices of cars left to rent.

The rental car shortages aren’t limited to Southwest Florida, but other states hit by Helene too, like North Carolina.

A Hertz media spokesperson said in an email to WINK News, “There is strong demand for rental cars across all parts of the Southeast, including Southwest Florida/Fort Myers.”

Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty’s media spokesperson told WINK News the companies are offering one-way rentals to help people get to their destinations amidst flight cancellations.

Additionally, Hertz says it is working with disaster response teams, including the nonprofit Team Rubicon, to provide necessary vehicles for relief efforts. To further assist, Hertz is waiving late fees and offering a $350 discount on vehicle purchases for those in impacted areas.

If you’re looking to rent a car and can’t find any available at RSW, you may want to consider checking rental locations outside the airport in Fort Myers or Naples.

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