Superstorm Sandy has caused damage to thousands of cars in the Port of New York and New Jersey that were heading to vehicle sales lots around the region.

Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman says 16,000 cars were damaged in the storm.

The New York Shipping Association says Toyota and vehicle processor FAPS Inc., which handles foreign and domestic cars, were among those that suffered losses.

A call and email to FAPS did not go through. Coleman says their offices, including phones and computers, also may have suffered damage from the storm.

No one answered at the Toyota distributor based at the port.

According to the Port Authority’s website, it is the leading port in North America for automobile imports and exports, handling 650,669 vehicles in 2011.