VIDEO: State officials had been warning Florida residents about the threat posed by storm surge to electric vehicles since Monday, days before Hurricane Idalia made landfall.
In the aftermath of the destructive storm, Pinellas officials report at least two incidents of electric vehicles combusting after their lithium-ion batteries were exposed to the saltwater.
In Pinellas Park on Thursday, an immobilized Tesla caught fire and was destroyed by flames. Video taken by James McLynas showed the remains of the destroyed vehicle being towed away at the intersection of 65th Way and Park Boulevard.
"Hurricane flooded Tesla bursts into flames while being towed to the storage lot," McLynas wrote in his post on YouTube. "Driver picked up the flood damaged Tesla from a storm damaged home and was towing it back when it burst into flames."