Hurricane Helene's heavy rainfall caused significant flooding in Tampa, leading to fires and explosions involving electric vehicles and scooters. Mayor Jane Castor suspects an electric vehicle fire destroyed a home on Davis Islands due to water damage and the potential interaction of batteries with salt water. She also reported multiple scooter explosions resulting from floodwaters submerging them.
Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters kept firefighters from reaching some house fires Thursday night, and the salty storm surge may have been the cause of at least one destructive blaze. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor on Friday speculated that a home in the city’s upscale Davis Islands neighborhood likely burned down because an electric vehicle inside a garage caught fire.
"Water and ion batteries do not mix. They literally explode. So if that was the case of this particular fire, I saw that home from the helicopter and there’s one wall left," she said. "It’s very, very tragic. Fortunately nobody was hurt."The exact cause of that fire remains under investigation. According to FOX 13 in Tampa, another electric vehicle on Davis Islands did catch fire, however it was not near the home that burned.Castor also said added that several of the rentable electric scooters exploded after being submerged by the fast-rising floodwaters."Even the scooters – we have so many reports of those scooters that are hitting the water and the batteries are exploding," she continued.FOX Television Stations reached out to Tampa’s scooter partners Lime and Spin about the mayor's comments. A Spin spokesperson said "community safety is always our top priority," noting that 99% of their scooter fleet had been "disabled and secured" before the storm arrived."I want to clarify that we have not experienced any battery-related incidents with our owned vehicles, including during the recent storm," Spin's Bruno Lopes offered. "We hear and share Mayor Castor’s concerns when it comes to the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and saltwater, however, these concerns are more common with personally owned devices, which may not meet the same rigorous safety standards as those in the shared mobility industry. Spin’s batteries are specifically designed for safety and durability, including to resist water intrusion. They are fully sealed to prevent exposure to the elements, ensuring that our vehicles meet the highest safety standards in the marketplace."Lithium-ion batteries power a number of items used every day, from cell phones to laptops, along with scooters, golf carts, and electric vehicles.Fires involving these batteries and floods are nothing new, but it is an increasingly common danger as more and more drivers choose electric over gasoline. "The danger with lithium-ion batteries themselves is that there’s a lot of power in a small little package. And when that energy is released, it’s a tremendous amount of energy and a tremendous amount of heat," said Rob Herrin, public safety information chief for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue in Tampa.In 2022, Hurricane Ian caused 20 electric cars to catch fire after they flooded with salt water, creating hazards for first responders. After more fires followed Hurricane Idalia last year, Florida’s Palm Harbor Fire Rescue issued another warning:"If you own a hybrid or electric vehicle that has come into contact with saltwater due to recent flooding within the last 24 hours, it is crucial to relocate the vehicle from your garage without delay. Saltwater exposure can trigger combustion in lithium-ion batteries. If possible, transfer your vehicle to higher ground," the agency said.
Hurricane Flooding Tampa Electric Vehicle Fire Scooter Battery Explosion
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hurricane Helene creating travel woes for Eagles fans headed to TampaFOX 29's Chris O'Connell spoke with Eagles fans who planned to head to Tampa Bay to watch the Birds play Sunday. However, their plans could change due to Hurricane Helene.
Read more »
Flight disruptions impact Atlanta, Tampa as Hurricane Helene loomsThe FOX Forecast Center expects the worst of the weather to be in the Atlanta metro from after midnight Friday morning through sunset.
Read more »
Hurricane Helene Strengthens to Category 1, Poised to Become Major Hurricane Before Florida LandfallHurricane Helene intensified to a Category 1 storm on Wednesday and is projected to further strengthen, potentially reaching a major Category 4 hurricane before making landfall in Florida's Big Bend region on Thursday. The storm threatens life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, torrential rain, and widespread flooding.
Read more »
MAP: Will Hurricane Helene hit Tampa and St. Petersburg?Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater will experience hurricane-force winds and catastrophic storm surge due to the storm’s huge wind field, despite being far from the forecast landfall region. H…
Read more »
Hurricane update: Helene to bring waves, wind, rain to Chicago area; no sunshine until next weekHurricane Helene made landfall in Florida Thursday as category 4 hurricane
Read more »
Flooded electric vehicles, scooters bursting into flames after Hurricane Helene'Water and ion batteries do not mix. They literally explode,' Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned on Friday, adding that even small electric scooters were blowing up because of Hurricane Helene's floodwaters.
Read more »