Hurricane season is starting, bringing more remonstrances about our guilt for using “fossil fuels” and causing “climate change.”
The figure shows the path of the storms in the most active hurricane season in the U.S.—in 1886. Indianola, Texas, was wiped off the map.
The graph shows the trend over decades.
Would switching to electric vehicles help?
A continuous increase in CO2 emissions from burning coal, oil, and natural gas has not been accompanied by an increase in violent storms. Your ICE (internal combustion engine) and millions of others are not guilty.
A couple of cautions about EVs:
- Don’t use one as your evacuation vehicle. You might be stuck in traffic for a long time with nowhere to recharge.
- The power may be out at the recharging station.
- High storm surges are expected. And salt water flooding can turn a lithium battery into a “ticking time bomb.” Residual salt within the battery or battery components can form conductive “bridges” that can lead to short circuit and self-heating of the battery, resulting in fires. The time frame in which a damaged battery can ignite has been observed to vary widely, from days to weeks, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Fires are extremely difficult to extinguish.
If you are in an area where a hurricane is predicted, be ready, and do not wait until the last second to evacuate.
- Have your ICE vehicle fueled and packed. Have your EV parked on high ground especially near a body of salt water.
- Even if you don’t expect to evacuate, stock up on things you need.
- Have plenty of light sources—candles, lanterns, flashlights, headlamps, and spare batteries.
- Have a radio that does not depend on the electric power grid to get weather and emergency reports.
- You can’t have too much clean water.
Additional information:
- Climate change IQ question 1: Would lowering atmospheric CO2 prevent or mitigate hurricanes?
- Lessons from Hurricane Ian
- Lecture by world-class hurricane expert, the late William Gray