JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Residents at Island Pointe Apartments continue to wait for their power to be restored after Tropical Storm Nicole brought massive flooding and a fire that displaced dozens of tenants last Thursday.
According to one tenant, the floodwaters caused the meter boxes to need to be replaced. A spokesperson for JEA told News4JAX they have completed all their work on their end to energize the building -- now, it is up to the apartment complex to repair its equipment before power can be fully restored.
Island Pointe Apartments management told News4JAX the majority of the tenants have had their power restored but they are waiting on an electrician to repair some equipment. JEA said once the equipment is repaired, a certified engineer has to complete an inspection before power can be fully restored.
Laura Woodle said one of the empty power meter slots belongs to her unit, meaning she’s been without power for four days.
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“Now it’s cold and last night it was very cold. I get up at 4:30 in the morning to go to work, and who wants to wake up at 4:30 a.m. and take a cold shower?” Woodle said.
Woodle said she lost all the food in her refrigerator and freezer and she’s forced to charge her phone in her car. She also said she’s been unable to get a clear answer from apartment complex managers as to when power will be restored.
“They told us to get a hotel room and claim it on our rental insurance so that we can get the money back,” Woodle said. “I just paid all my bills, so I don’t have the money to file a claim to get a hotel room and then file a claim to get it back. I just paid them rent, just paid JEA.”
As of Monday afternoon, Woodle said power meters weren’t replaced and an electrician hadn’t arrived.