Flooded EVs Can Reignite Days Later: What Coastal Drivers Must Know

When storm surge rolls in, as they most certainly have in Northern California the last 2 weeks, your EV doesn’t just get wet and move on. Saltwater and high-voltage packs mix badly, and that risk follows you home. After Hurricane Ian, Florida’s fire marshal reported multiple flooded EVs catching fire with little warning, sometimes reigniting hours later in driveways and storage lots. ABC’s coverage spells out cases where damaged EVs “burst into flames” and then lit up again after being put out, based on the marshal’s own tally. You can read it in this Hurricane Ian EV fire report.

More recently, Florida officials tied dozens of lithium-ion fires to Hurricane Helene storm surge, with 11 of those involving EVs. CBS News quoted the state fire marshal calling damaged EVs “ticking time bombs,” warning that pack fires can happen hours or even weeks after the flood. That warning is laid out in this Florida EV fire briefing.

What You Should Actually Do With a Flood-Soaked EV

The danger isn’t magic. Saltwater gets into the battery pack and hardware under the car. Corrosion and short circuits build over time. Researchers at the University of South Carolina, looking at the Helene data, count 11 cars and 48 other lithium-ion batteries catching fire after saltwater exposure, with some fires spreading to nearby homes. Their write-up in this EV flooding and fire analysis makes one point very clear: distance buys you safety.

So what does that mean for you? If your EV sat in saltwater, you treat it like a live grenade with keys. Don’t park it under the bedroom window. Don’t plug it back in at home. Get it towed to a safe isolation area, preferably on non-combustible ground, and tell the tow operator it was flooded in saltwater so they can park it away from other vehicles. Call your insurer early and push for a full inspection or write-off, not a quick detail.

My Verdict

If you live near the coast, your storm plan now has to include your EV. You already move your family photos upstairs and sandbag the doors; you also need to think about where that high-voltage pack sleeps after the water drops. Handled right, an EV is still safer and cleaner over years than a gas truck. Mishandled after a flood, it’s a slow-burn fire hazard parked under your kid’s bedroom. Give it distance, get it checked, and don’t pretend “it dried out” is a safety plan.