DeSantis warns Florida electric car drivers to park on higher ground

Gov. Ron DeSantis urges electric car drivers to protect their vehicles from salt water that could cause battery fires during upcoming storms

Florida has been awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall Thursday night and killed several people. But as if Floridians don’t have enough to worry about ahead of a nightmare weather event, Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued some directives that may be difficult to follow.

DeSantis is concerned about the risk of salt water getting into electric vehicle batteries and starting fires that would be difficult to extinguish despite the best efforts of firefighting services. Therefore, he advises electric car drivers to park their cars on higher ground to keep their cars away from water. That’s easier said than done when you live in a state where studies show Kansas looks like Colorado.

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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are 255,000 electric vehicles on Florida’s roads, making it the second most popular state for electric vehicles. California has 1.2 million electric vehicles, and Texas, in third place, has more than 230,000 electric vehicles. Florida has 42,000 electric vehicles in the Tampa Bay area, where high water levels are expected due to storm surge, fast company Report.

Since we’ve been taught since childhood that water and electricity don’t mix, the possibility of getting caught in a storm in or near an electric car can be alarming. But Citrus County Fire and Rescue posted a Facebook post assuring residents that submerged electric vehicles would not bring power to the water. However, it can catch fire, and it warns people to be wary of smoke or pops and whistles from any electric vehicle that has come into contact with the now-drained water.

Helen was the first Category 4 storm to hit Florida’s Big Bend region since records began in 1851. USA Today Hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach reports. The storm surge raised water levels to 20 feet (6.1 m) in some areas, and winds reached 140 mph (225 km/h).

The tropical storm has since weakened to 45 mph (71 km/h) as it moved into Georgia and the Carolinas, but left a trail of destruction. At least 10 people were reported dead in multiple states and more than 4.4 million households were without power.