‘We are literally about to get a hurricane today’: Man catches Volkswagen dealership selling cars in Florida as storm draws near

We all know Florida can be a wild place, so how do we classify a car salesman trying to close at a Volkswagen dealership as Hurricane Milton looms?

During hurricane season, many businesses are often faced with the decision between shutdown to evacuate or operate as is and pray on the storm being mild. This is a classic toss-up because some hurricanes are less severe than predicted while others shut down local economies for weeks.  

Locals in Florida have even relied on the Waffle House Index to gauge how bad a storm is. If the Waffle House is closed, then locals take the hurricane warnings more seriously. Waffle House posted an updated Florida store closure at 2:00pm Wednesday, with 90 stores closed.

This TikTok posted by @chelsijewel reveals a car salesman trying to secure a sale before Hurricane Milton roars into town. The creator of the video was shocked to see the Wallace Volkswagen dealership even open in Stuart, Florida with the town being under tornado watch.

So why on earth is a Volkswagen dealership even open during Hurricane Milton when Waffle House is closed?

While Stuart, Florida isn’t directly in the path of Hurricane Milton, it is still experiencing severe weather from Hurricane Milton. The town of Stuart has issued tornado warning in preparation for Hurricane Milton and experienced devastating damage this week. Multiple reports of tornados hitting Florida were reported including Stuart, Florida.

Wallace Volkswagen decided to stay open this week before the storm hit despite all the warnings. The TikTok shows a salesman try to secure a last-minute sale before all the potential damage flies in.

How does a car dealership prepare for a Hurricane coming into town?

First and foremost, safety of employees needs to be a priority. Making sure all staff is taken care of and in a safe situation should be the main focus. Dealerships will also board-up windows, move inventory indoors (space prohibiting), and park cars away from trees in preparation of a storm. 

Typically, selling cars hours before the storm isn’t the top priority. So why did this Volkswagen dealership have their employee working during Hurricane Milton?

“We are literally about to get a hurricane today and they’re out here selling cars. Florida is not real” the TikTok featured.

You could make the case that for this dealership, sales are more important than safety. 

However, the Daily Dot did receive a statement from @chelsijewel saying “This was on the east coast and we were not expecting hurricane conditions until late afternoon, I don’t want to bash the business they weren’t doing anything wrong.”

So what did the viewers think of the Volkswagen dealership being open before Hurricane Milton?

“I worked for a dealership for a long time. They will make you work til the very last moment” one shared. 

“Selling is crazy, but buying?” one questioned. 

“The hustle never stops!” one added

“The sales gotta be crazy.” one joked. 

@chelsijewel

We are under a tornado watch 😅😅😅😅

♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger

“Gotta love Wallace Volkswagen in Stuart!” one commented. 

We have reached out to Wallace Volkswagen over email and phone. 

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