Hurricane Harvey flooded cars hitting resale market

Baytown, TX (CBS NEWS) — On 500 acres of east Texas land, thousand of neatly-placed vehicles fan out across the horizon. Row upon row of cars and trucks now sit empty waiting to repaired, resold or scrapped.

“Every vehicle here is here for a reason- it was damaged in some way, shape, or form by the storm,” Royal Purple Raceway General Manger Seth Angel said.

It’s estimated that up to million vehicles were damaged by Harvey.

Many end up here or at a handful of makeshift scrapyards designed for similar purpose. Aerial photos of the Texas World Speedway about 70 miles north of Houston shows tens of thousands of cars lining the track.

Eventually, the cars will be sold by insurance companies to salvage yards, dealers, and individual buyers around the world.

While Texas law requires the each cars’ flood history be available to potential buyers, safety experts say the effects of water damage are often felt much further down the road.

More than 50 electronic control units are computers in the car today, these vehicles are very susceptible to water. And that water is not friendly to these kinds of systems and can cause all kinds of safety hazards.

With so many of these cars hitting the market, the DMV suggests potential new buyers have a mechanic take a look at the car before making a purchase.

Racetrack managers expect to have every one of these vehicles gone by the end of February, so they can be ready for racing season when it begins in March.