Sandy leads to Thanksgiving rental car shortage

Cars are submerged at the entrance to a parking garage in New York's Financial District in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, in this Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, file photo. / AP Photo/Richard Drew

NEW YORK Thanksgiving travelers who have yet to rent a car in the Northeast are out of luck: Superstorm Sandy has created a shortage.

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Sandy makes rental cars scarce in NYC area

The storm has damaged thousands of cars -- including those owned by rental companies. The loss of vehicles has been compounded by rising demand. Thanksgiving and Christmas are normally busy rental periods. And lingering mass transit problems caused by Sandy have added to demand.

• Storm victims band together for new-car discounts
• Sandy aftermath to push up used car prices

Existing reservations are mostly being honored, but people who still want to book for Thanksgiving are finding almost no cars left. The few cars available carry a hefty premium.