Florida Chief Monetary Officer Jimmy Patronis talks hurricane preparedness, potential insurance coverage worth adjustments in Milton’s aftermath and the Sunshine State’s value of dwelling.
As Hurricane Milton continued swirling towards Florida on Wednesday, many Sunshine State residents in its projected path are bracing for its arrival, together with individuals who personal electrical automobiles.
The Nationwide Hurricane Heart (NHC) mentioned Wednesday afternoon that forecasts point out Milton will arrive onshore Wednesday evening alongside the west-central coast of Florida. It had earlier urged Floridians in its path to rapidly end preparations and evacuations.
Forward of Milton, one county throughout the hurricane’s projected path, Hillsborough County, mentioned Monday EV homeowners in flood zones “should move their vehicles away from flood areas and storm surge” and famous storm surge and flooding can “pose a potential risk to lithium-ion batteries and could lead to fires.” It shared a county webpage about electrical automobile hurricane security.
A thunderstorm strikes over Tampa, Florida, within the distance from St. Petersburg on Tuesday forward of Hurricane Milton’s anticipated landfall in the midst of the week. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP through Getty Photographs / Getty Photographs)
The NHC mentioned components of central and southwestern Florida had been anticipated to see “life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rains” when Milton hits the state.
NOAA’S ‘HURRICANE HUNTERS’ UTILIZE LOCKHEED, GULFSTREAM PLANES TO GET STORM DATA
EVs left behind throughout hurricanes shouldn’t be plugged into charging stations or parked in garages due to the potential fireplace hazard that batteries flooded with saltwater might pose, in keeping with Hillsborough County’s web site. It suggested maintaining electrical automobiles 50 ft away from buildings and different vehicles.
Florida CFO and State Hearth Marshal Jimmy Patronis on Monday additionally issued a fireplace security 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 mentioned partly.
EV homeowners shouldn’t function their automobiles if they’ve been broken by flooding, nor ought to they cost them, Hillsborough County has suggested.
A driver plugs in a Tesla electrical automobile to cost at a Tesla Supercharger location in Santa Monica, California, on Could 15. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP through Getty Photographs / Getty Photographs)
“Never drive through flood water,” the webpage additionally said.
HURRICANE MILTON THREATENS 235K COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, MOODY’S ESTIMATES
The Florida CFO’s Division of State Hearth Marshal mentioned if electrical automobiles are broken by flooding, automobile homeowners ought to comply with directions from the producer and open automobile home windows and doorways 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 mentioned in a Sunday press launch.
Patronis mentioned Monday evening in an X submit that the State Hearth Marshal’s Workplace “cross checked EV/Hybrid registration with storm surge forecasts” and located Florida “has over 55K vehicles at risk of storm surge from Milton.”
Milton would be the second hurricane to hit Florida in lower than two weeks after Helene made landfall within the state’s Large Bend area.
Individuals go to the seashore as storm clouds go overhead earlier than Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Fort Myers, Florida, on Tuesday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Photographs / Getty Photographs)
The surge from that storm was linked to 11 EV lithium-ion battery fires and 37 non-EV lithium-ion battery blazes in Florida, in keeping with the CFO’s Division of State Hearth Marshal.
FLORIDA AIRPORTS CLOSE AS HURRICANE MILTON NEARS
Florida may very well be dealing with “somewhere north of $10 [billion], maybe $20 billion worth of insured losses” from Milton relying on its affect, Patronis instructed “Varney & Co” on Tuesday.
The storm has already triggered main disruptions forward of landfall, together with the momentary closure of a number of main Florida airports.
