Hurricane Milton: What should EV owners do before and after storm?
The NHC has said some parts of Florida could see major storm surge and flooding from Hurricane Milton
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis talks hurricane preparedness, potential insurance price changes in Milton's aftermath and the Sunshine State's cost of living.
As Hurricane Milton continued swirling toward Florida on Wednesday, many Sunshine State residents in its projected path are bracing for its arrival, including people who own electric vehicles.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Wednesday afternoon that forecasts indicate Milton will arrive onshore Wednesday night along the west-central coast of Florida. It had earlier urged Floridians in its path to quickly finish preparations and evacuations.
Ahead of Milton, one county within the hurricane’s projected path, Hillsborough County, said Monday EV owners in flood zones "should move their vehicles away from flood areas and storm surge" and noted storm surge and flooding can "pose a potential risk to lithium-ion batteries and could lead to fires." It shared a county webpage about electric vehicle hurricane safety.
A thunderstorm moves over Tampa, Florida, in the distance from St. Petersburg on Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall in the middle of the week. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The NHC said parts of central and southwestern Florida were expected to see "life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rains" when Milton hits the state.
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EVs left behind during hurricanes should not be plugged into charging stations or parked in garages because of the potential fire hazard that batteries flooded with saltwater could pose, according to Hillsborough County’s website. It advised keeping electric vehicles 50 feet away from buildings and other cars.
Florida CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis on Monday also issued a fire safety alert about lithium-ion batteries, EVs and the hurricane.
"After the storm, if you do have an EV that has been flooded by saltwater and it remains in your garage or near your home, please remove it immediately to a safe location so that you can worry about fixing your home instead of rebuilding it due to fire," he said in part.
EV owners should not operate their vehicles if they have been damaged by flooding, nor should they charge them, Hillsborough County has advised.
A driver plugs in a Tesla electric vehicle to charge at a Tesla Supercharger location in Santa Monica, California, on May 15. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Never drive through flood water," the webpage also stated.
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The Florida CFO’s Division of State Fire Marshal said if electric vehicles are damaged by flooding, vehicle owners should follow instructions from the manufacturer and open vehicle windows and doors to "allow any potentially flammable gasses to vent."
"If your EV has been exposed to flood conditions and you suspect your battery is damaged, contact your dealer and/or emergency services," AAA said in a Sunday press release.
Patronis said Monday night in an X post that the State Fire Marshal’s Office "cross checked EV/Hybrid registration with storm surge forecasts" and found Florida "has over 55K vehicles at risk of storm surge from Milton."
Milton will be the second hurricane to hit Florida in less than two weeks after Helene made landfall in the state’s Big Bend region.
People visit the beach as storm clouds pass overhead before Hurricane Milton's arrival in Fort Myers, Florida, on Tuesday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The surge from that storm was linked to 11 EV lithium-ion battery fires and 37 non-EV lithium-ion battery blazes in Florida, according to the CFO’s Division of State Fire Marshal.
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Florida could be facing "somewhere north of $10 [billion], maybe $20 billion worth of insured losses" from Milton depending on its impact, Patronis told "Varney & Co" on Tuesday.
The storm has already caused major disruptions ahead of landfall, including the temporary closure of several major Florida airports.