When disasters such as Hurricane Helene rip into a community, there's almost always an automotive impact. Often, a dealership is damaged. Or an auto parts plant gets shut down. Sometimes, an assembly plant goes offline.

But in the aftermath of many hurricanes, we discovered an unanticipated automotive story: cars that catch fire in a flood. We saw up close that when salt water puts electric vehicles and their lithium ion batteries at more risk of catching fire. From Hurricane Ian, Helene, Milton and other storms.

Florida has seen at least 16 lithium ion battery fires in the wake of Hurricane Helene, six associated with electric vehicles. I personally saw a few from Hurricane Ian two years ago.

Unfortunately, prior to Hurricane Helene making landfall, we did not see a lot of proactive measures by manufacturers in notifying customers in storm surge areas to relocate their vehicles. It's not too late for these manufacturers to send out notifications and fire safety information directly to their consumers,” stated Florida Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis.

If you own an electric vehicle, your EV can be impacted by storm surge. You will need to get it towed away. Don’t try to start a flooded car. The saltwater can compromise lithium-ion batteries, leading to thermal runaway, and that can burn down your home. That includes scooters, e-bikes, golf carts and tools. Get it away from your home.

If your electric vehicles, e-bikes, scooters, power drills or other battery-operated tools get wet during the storm, move them out of your garage as soon as it is safe to do so.
Saltwater exposure can damage lithium batteries, causing fires that may ignite days or even weeks later.

Florida fire marshal calls electric vehicles "ticking time bombs" amid Hurricane Milton flooding. Residents and first responders are being cautioned about "an alarming fire hazard with lithium-ion batteries, EVs, as well as hybrid and fuel cell vehicles in preparation of Hurricane Milton.

The fire marshal's warning comes after prior incidents of floodwaters caused electric vehicles to burst into flames. Florida officials have confirmed 48 lithium-ion battery fires related to storm surge.

I’m telling you this not to deter you from buying an EV but to be aware that water and batteries are not friends. "If an electric vehicle is inside your home or underneath a condo, a building fires in the middle of a storm is nothing but a disaster.

Hurricane Ian in 2022 caused various degrees of damage to between 3,000 and 5,000 EVs in Florida, with 600 vehicles deemed a total loss, and 36 catching on fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "In several instances, the fire erupted while the impacted EVs were being towed on their flatbed trailers," the agency stated in a 2022 report.

Lithium-ion battery packs, which consist of a group of cells inside a compartment, contain a flammable liquid electrolyte. EV and plug-in hybrid vehicles have about 1,000 times more cells than an e-bike, according to a report by the CBS News Innovation Lab. Higher energy batteries with more cells are at greater risk of failure.

Tips if your EV, hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle is flooded:

• Leave all windows and/or doors open to allow any potentially flammable gases to vent from the passenger compartment.
• If the vehicle is stored indoors and can be moved, move it outside into an open-air location. If it cannot be moved, try to keep the storage area open and vented.
• Unplug and do not attempt to charge the vehicle.
• Disable the vehicle by chocking the wheels, placing the gearshift in park and removing the ignition key and/or disconnecting the 12V battery.
• Avoid contact with the high voltage battery especially if a vehicle is showing signs of a damaged or overheating HV battery.
• Follow manufacturers recommendations for your specific vehicle.

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Lauren Fix, The Car Coach is a nationally recognized automotive expert, media guest, journalist, author, keynote speaker and television host. A trusted car expert, Lauren provides an insider’s perspective on a wide range of automotive topics and safety issues for both the auto industry and consumers. Her analysis is honest and straightforward.