JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – JEA crews are taking action to prevent power outages during hurricane season.
While Tropical Storm Danny made landfall just north of Hilton Head last night, causing hundreds of outages in the South Carolina low country.
In the Sunshine State, and specifically, locally, JEA crews are working to keep our community safe before the threat of a storm in Northeast Florida by trimming trees.
The agency said tree maintenance is vital to maintain power during severe weather because most storm-related power outages are because of tree branches falling on power lines.
“Trees and powerlines can share the same space, but they do need their personal space,” JEA Forester Joe Anderson told News4Jax. “We’re trying to maximize the benefits of the electrical service and maximize the benefits of the trees but minimize the risk of both as well.”
JEA crews fanned out Tuesday morning to trim trees Springfield, an area with dozens of mature trees. Anderson said it’s part of a routine effort that takes place every couple of years or so to make sure limbs and the tree canopy are clear of energized lines.
“We will trim that clearance, the tree will have 2 ½ years to claim its space and we’ll come back and trim it again,” Anderson said.
During this time, crews will also obtain additional training on how to take care of sensitive tree canopies when working in historical districts such as Springfield.
JEA is reminding residents to make sure their JEA account information is up to date in case they need to contact you with power restoration updates during an outage.
Residents can update their information at DoMoreWithJEA.com.