Hurricane Katrina was not only one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history; it was also the most expensive hurricane in the nation's history. It was the sixth strongest Atlantic hurricane, as well as the third strongest hurricane that made landfall in the U.S. It was formed on August 23, 2005 and was a category five hurricane that made headlines. As the result of Katrina's destruction, many Louisiana cars were flood-damaged. Law requires that all flooded cars be immediately identified to customers, and these vehicles are usually scrapped or sold for parts.

Unfortunately, many unscrupulous individuals are selling flood-damaged vehicles to customers as regular titles, after cleaning them up and shipping them to other parts of the country. Car-Fax has warned the market that these flood damaged cars could pop up anywhere and that is no exaggeration considering that 571,000 vehicles were damaged by the hurricane. Here are five signs that you may be dealing with a Katrina refurbished car.

1.There is evidence of standing water in the spare tire wheel. This one area might have been ignored in the clean up process.

2.There is mysterious rust around the engine compartment or in other metal parts of the car, including the bolts.

3.The dealer or seller is reluctant to let you have a mechanic look at the car or order a report of the vehicle's history. This could be because of flood damage or any number of other conspicuous reasons!

4.It the deal sounds too good to be true, it very well may be. Dealers or sellers who have a flood car want to get rid of it quickly because they know it's not worth anything in the car business and yet, they don't want be caught selling it. Other suspicious behavior to look out for is if a dealer keeps pointing you back to the same car you have just refused. 5.Visible water remnants and condensation around the car dripping from the vents, from the odometer, the door panel or even the glove box.

All of these signs point to a flooded car, which are not trustworthy or valuable even to shady dealers, who feel they must sell nothing for a discounted price. Whether the car was damaged in Hurricane Katrina or in another flood, it's not what you're looking for.

Adam O'Connor
Great Guy Life