Florida officials warn of fires after electric vehicles’ exposure to saltwater during Hurricane Helene

TAMPA – The combination of storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico and lithium-ion batteries in vehicles has proven to be a recipe for disaster, as Florida agencies report responding to numerous fires in the wake of Hurricane Helene. 

Photos and videos from the Tampa Bay area show the aftermath of highly combustible batteries being exposed to saltwater, leaving homes damaged and cars destroyed.

A surge of 5-8 feet was reported across the metro during Helene, flooding hundreds of homes and raising the potential for further destruction.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned that she’s seen reports of cars and even scooters that were exposed to saltwater and exploded in the days since landfall.

Helene is not the first hurricane where an increase in EV-related fires has occurred, a similar streak of incidents were reported during Hurricanes Idalia and Ian, both of which were powerful storms that impacted the Florida coastline.

NEW CHALLENGE TO FIREFIGHTERS DURING HURRICANES: ELECTRIC VEHICLE FIRES

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis has been one of the leading voices warning of the dangers that electric vehicles face during floodwaters.

“We saw a number of fires associated with EVs from Hurricane Ian,” Patronis previously stated. “We know that the saltwater from storm surge can compromise these batteries, causing fires which cannot be easily suppressed. The best fire teams can do is keep water on the battery until the fuel burns out.”

Officials in Pinellas County, a hotbed for EV ownership, said it has been messaging its residents warning about the dangers associated with the floodwaters.

“If you have an electric vehicle or golf cart, and it was exposed to salt water, it needs to be moved away from your home by at least 50 feet. These vehicles may catch fire in the coming days,” the county warned.

Firefighters said electric car fires are significantly harder to extinguish than those involving gas vehicles because of lithium-ion batteries.

ELECTRIC CAR IN FLORIDA CATCHES FIRE AFTER BEING FLOODED DURING HURRICANE IDALIA, FIREFIGHTERS SAY

Tesla, once the world’s largest electric vehicle maker, has previously contended that rates of fires involving its vehicles are lower when compared to other automobiles.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy, Florida has the second-highest number of registered electric vehicles in the country, with more than 250,000.