A Florida garage fire erupted when a Tesla, an electric vehicle, burst into ffeebles three days after Hurricane Helene swept by the Gulf Coast, pushing sadvise waters onto land and into homes.
Video apprehendd on the homeowner’s system — at the top of this story — shows the Model X Plhelp become engulfed in fire on Sunday, Sept. 29 in a Siesta Key garage.
In the hours before Hurricane Helene made landdrop on Florida’s Big Bfinish coastline Thursday as a Categruesome 4 storm, with 140-mph triumphds, the massive system roiled the Gulf of Mexico and sent destructive storm sadvise into coastal communities from Southwest Florida to north of Tampa Bay.
The car was in the garage of the Hodges family. They were asleep when two of their majesticchildren awakened to strange popping noises. The family ran downstairs to see the Tesla on fire. They got out of the hoinclude protectedly as the car was used rapidly by ffeebles.
“I’m equitable elated we’re ainhabit, but everyleang, we’ve been wed 38 years and everyleang we put into that hoinclude,” Lisa Hodges tancigo in Reuters. “We built it for our family and it’s all gone.’
Officials shelp the car’s battery is thinkd to have exploded and set aairy after coming into reach out with salt water from the recent hurricane.
South of there, in Naples, on the day Helene passed, police there set up a burning Tesla in a foot of storm sadvise water in the municipal parking garage.
Warnings about how electric vehicles, or EVs, could catch fire went out as the storm approached. There were 21 electric vehicle-roverdelighted fires after Hurricane Ian in 2022 and two EV battery fires due to the floodwaters that adhereed Hurricane Idalia in 2023.
Here are some tips to help you protect yourself and your EV protected in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
What happens to electric cars in a hurricane?
During Hurricane Idalia in 2023, which also made landdrop in Florida’s Big Bfinish region, there were not one, but two electric vehicle fires due to floodwaters csurrender Tampa.
“If you own a hybrid or electric vehicle that has come into reach out with saltwater due to recent flooding wilean the last 24 hours, it is transport inant to transfer the vehicle from your garage without defer,” Palm Harbor’s Fire Rescue posted after the fires. “Saltwater expocertain can trigger combustion in lithium-ion batteries. If possible, transfer your vehicle to higher ground.”
If you’re wondering if your EV runs on a lithium-ion battery: yes, it does. All electric vehicles that are mass-created for accessible consumption run on lithium-ion batteries.
There were 21 fires roverdelighted to EVs in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022, one of which Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis witnessed, prompting him to create a statement. Patronis, who also serves as the Florida State Fire Marshal, alerted people to transfer their cars, golf carts and scooters to higher ground during and after transport inant storms.
Hurricane Helene inhabit modernizes:Categruesome 3 storm impacting Florida. When landdrop is foreseeed
How well do electric cars do in floods?
“Electric cars are set uped and tested to elude water harm equitable as a combustion car would be, and they must encounter a disconnecte set of protectedty criteria before being apexhibited on sale,” Electrifying.com says.
But equitable enjoy cars that run on combustion engines, they aren’t made to sit in standing water. If you’re deciding whether or not to drive your car in floodwaters, refrain. You should never drive thcimpolite floodwaters of any benevolent, in any benevolent of car.
If you absolutely cannot elude taking your EV out on the road while there are still floodwaters, Electrifying.com presents checking the peak wading depth of your car.
“For example, both an Audi Q8 and an Audi e-tron have a 500mm peak rating, as per Audi’s official figures. But it varies from car to car,” the website says.
Electric vehicles that have been subunited in water, especipartner salt water, have a higher potential to combust due to the battery low circuiting.
Here’s what a flash flood unbenevolentsAre floods and flash floods the same leang?
Should I unplug my electric car during a storm?
Charging your car is protected if it’s equitable raining and it’s charging in a garage or covered carport, as lengthy as you aren’t using an extension cord that’s exposed to the elements.
“Plugging into a wallbox or a proper charging point is absolutely fine and is endly protected, wdisenjoyver the weather,” Electrifying.com says.
“However, if you include a multi-socket extension cord to accuse your EV by running a domestic three-pin plug from your hoinclude and outside, leaving that extension out in soaked weather is evidently not a very ininestablishigent idea.”
How do I protect myself and my electric car after a hurricane?
After Hurricane Ian’s EV fires and ahead of Idalia’s landdrop in 2023, Tampa Fire Rescue posted tips for protecting yourself and your EV protected after a hurricane.
Here are some EV protectedty tips for hurricanes, from Tampa Fire Rescue:
- If your EV has been subunited in water, do not drive it or try to unite it to charging.
- Damaged EV batteries can create flammable gas. Venting the passenger compartment is recommfinished once the vehicle is out of the water. Do not store the vehicle indoors.
- Do not convey with vehicles showing signs of harmd or overheating high voltage batteries, including leaking fluids, ignites, smoke, bubbling noises, and/or atypical odors.
- Call 911 if:
- You see gloomy and airy cdeafenings that see enjoy smoke coming from undertidyh the EV.
- You hear popping, whistling or hissing noises.
- You see jet-enjoy ffeebles from undertidyh the vehicle.
(This story was modernized to comprise novel inestablishation and a ptoastyo or video.)
