00:00Nearly one in ten U.S. cars are electric or hybrid vehicles.
00:04I have a hybrid.
00:05According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Florida and Texas rank second and third collectively for the most EV cars on the road.
00:13But as more EVs hit the road, so do the risks, especially during hurricane season in flood-prone states.
00:21AccuWeather's Leslie Hudson is live in central Florida with a closer look at the hidden fire dangers
00:27tied to saltwater flooding and EV fires.
00:34Hey, good morning to you, Bernie.
00:36Yeah, we are in downtown Orlando, not an area that would be a concern for saltwater.
00:41But the message is for any hurricane-prone state, Florida, the Gulf Coast, all the way up the Atlantic seaboard,
00:47if you're in an area where you can see saltwater and you have an EV,
00:51you need to be thinking about what you're going to do in the event that there is a storm that comes your way.
00:58Because fire officials say it's not just the flooding from that storm surge that's a concern.
01:02It's what happens after the storm leaves and the floodwaters recede.
01:07Because saltwater is a huge problem for EVs all across these Gulf Coast and hurricane-prone states.
01:15So what happens is, of course, when these EVs get submerged or partially submerged in saltwater,
01:20that causes the battery to short-circuit.
01:22But what a lot of EV owners don't realize is that the fire risk can continue days, weeks, or even months
01:29after that storm has passed.
01:31And it's hard to tell that your actual EV has had some type of damage unless you've had a professional look at it.
01:37So that combination of saltwater flooding and lithium-ion batteries is a proven recipe for disaster.
01:43You know from this viral video last year in Sarasota, where a Tesla flooded during Hurricane Helene
01:48and then caught fire, and it not only burned down the garage, but its home as well.
01:53Saltwater conducts electricity, and when it seeps into that sealed EV battery compartment,
01:59it can trigger extreme heat, corrosion, and what's called thermal runaway.
02:03That's a chain reaction inside the battery pack that can lead to explosions or multi-hour-long fires.
02:12It can burn in an environment where other combustibles don't, producing its own oxygen,
02:17producing its own heat in a thermal runaway.
02:20The lithium batteries are going to burn in excess of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
02:25And all of these things together make them a very difficult challenge for fire service in general.
02:33So, several EVs caught fire in Collier County after Hurricane Ian in 2022.
02:42In one case, a fire truck actually ran out of water trying to put the blaze out,
02:46only for that same car to reignite six hours later.
02:49Firefighters say EV fires can require 10 to 12 times more water than a standard car fire.
02:56That's because EV batteries have their own fuel source.
02:59So, even when the fire appears to be out, that heat and chemical chain reaction can restart without warning.
03:04EVs are less likely, though, to catch fire than gas cars.
03:07So, that is important to remember.
03:09Under normal conditions, it's not a problem.
03:11It's when that saltwater gets into those batteries that it can change the game.
03:16And with EV ownership on the rise, officials say that challenge is only growing.
03:21So, if you have an EV vehicle and you live in a hurricane-prone state,
03:26they're asking you to be thinking ahead what you're going to do with your car in the needs you need to evacuate.
03:32And believe it or not, a lot of officials say take them to the charging stations.
03:36This here in downtown Orlando can actually charge about 20 EVs at a time.
03:40So, it's a larger city.
03:41There's more room for charging.
03:43It's probably going to fill up pretty quickly.
03:49But they're saying think ahead.
03:50Get it out of the way of that storm surge.
03:53And if you live on an island, perhaps a barrier island, you want to definitely get it off that island.
03:58Because you have to remember, if your EV gets damaged, you can't push that out of the way.
04:04You have to tow it off the island.
04:06So, they're just wanting you to think ahead as we continue into this hurricane season.
04:10You know, we're in the height of hurricane season later this week.
04:13So, they're just trying to remind folks to have a plan ready.
04:16Because a lot of times when these storms happen, you forget about these little things that you need to do to help yourself stay safe.
04:22Reporting in Orlando, Florida, I'm Leslie Hudson.
04:24Back to you.
04:25Back to you.
04:25You always teach us something, Leslie.
04:27We learn a lot from that.
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