Electric car owners in the state were warned that their vehicles could go on fire following flood damage from Idalia.
Florida residents were encouraged on Monday to move their electric vehicles away from areas that „may be impacted by storm surge“ ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia’s arrival.
„We saw a number of fires associated with EVs [electric vehicles] from Hurricane Ian. 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. If you’re evacuating and leaving an EV, or other lithium ion powered devices like scooters or golf carts in your garage, you’re creating a real fire threat for your home, your communities, and first responders,“ Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and state Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis said in a press release.
He added: „Take this threat seriously. If there’s even a small risk of your EV being impacted by storm surge, move it to higher ground before it’s too late.
