Sunday morning’s thunderstorms left more than streets flooded – many New Orleans-area drivers found their cars were victims of the deluge as well.

But while car owners likely vacuumed out their cars by Sunday afternoon, that won’t necessarily dry the cars out like they need to be.

WWL-TV

Flooded cars in Elmwood.

"I was hearing sloshing in the back and then so we got like a bucket to try to get the water out and we used towels to try to get it out,” flood victim Jessica Ho said.

Ho, from Michigan, is in town for a summer internship.

And for the first time ever, she has to deal with a car problem.

“Really frustrated,” she said. “I've like never done anything to my car. I've never gotten a speeding ticket. I've never bumped into anything. I've never scratched it. So, this is like a big deal.”

Her car is one of many that lined up outside Uptown Carwash on Tchoupitoulas.

“What we can do is extract the water for them,” Uptown Carwash’s Scott Gibert said. “But we're not the cure for the problem because if the water's deep enough in the car, the carpets have to be removed.”

And that's why mechanics and body shops can't fix it. And it’s why you have to see a specialist.

"Even if it dries, it's still going to smell bad no matter what,” Calamari’s Trim Shop employee Beau Armagnac said.

He said the padding has to be replaced to avoid long-term mold and mildew.

“You have to pull all the seats out,” Armagnac said. “If you have a shifter, a console, all the moldings and plastic around it on the floor. Basically, everything's got to come off.”

Plus, many new cars have electrical work underneath the seats that can be ruined by water, especially if it sits for awhile.

Comprehensive coverage on your insurance often covers flood damage, especially if the check engine light comes on or if the car won’t start.

Oftentimes, they will recommend a trim shop where you can get your car treated to avoid mold growth.