Typhoon Jebi destroys 51 Ferraris at dealership in Japan

5 years, 7 months ago - 13 September 2018, Autoblog
Typhoon Jebi destroys 51 Ferraris at dealership in Japan
The damage is estimated at nearly $9 million

The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in a quarter-century destroyed an estimated $9 million worth of Ferraris at an authorized dealership on Rokko Island, an artificial island in the city of Kobe, after sending three feet of storm surge into the showroom.

According to Yahoo Japan, the storm surge from Typhoon Jebi destroyed 51 of 53 new and used Ferraris housed at the dealership, including some that had already been purchased. Employees reportedly tried to cover the entrance with tarps and sandbags, to no avail. Salt water reportedly seeped into the engine bays, so the vehicles were trucked away to be scrapped. The dealership will reportedly look to insurance to recoup its losses.

Typhoon Jebi slammed into Japan's west coast Sept. 4 with winds as high as 135 mph, leaving at least 11 dead and hundreds injured. It forced the closure of Kansai International Airport for three days due to flooding and after a tanker smashed into a bridge connecting the island airport to the mainland, damaging the bridge's girders. Around 3,000 passengers had to spend the night at the airport.

Separately, about 100 cars at a seaside dealership in Nishinomiya in Hyogo prefecture burned after their electrical systems shorted out from sea water, reports said.