Why speculate, here is what actually happened in Ashville:
Ex-Tesla Owner Shares How Hurricane Helene Made Him a Rivian Convert - Business Insider
"Cusick and his friend noticed what looked almost like a "lump of mud" sitting underneath an overpass, anywhere from 50 to 150 feet away from where the Rivian was originally parked. Silt and mud from the Swannanoa River, Cusick said, had engulfed his truck."
"when Cusick walked up to the Rivian, the door handle, which sits flush into the door panel much like Tesla's, popped out. Inside, the vehicle was "completely dry," Cusick said.
He was able to get inside and start his truck."
"A Rivian spokesperson told Inside EVs, which earlier reported on Cusick's truck, that Rivian battery packs are sealed to provide floodwater protection."
After discovering his silt encrusted truck he went on to help relief efforts.
"Cusick came across a distribution center that was set up by Crisis Response International, a crisis-response nonprofit based in Virginia, and asked how he could help.
"They said they needed a generator," Cusick recalled. "And I was like: 'Hey, I got one. They're built into my car.'"
Cusick said his generator helped power a food truck that was providing hot meals to residents. He said it also helped power a chainsaw he would use to clear roads"