JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ahead of Tuesday’s storm, local officials are bracing for the potential of downed trees, power outages and localized flooding.
A Jacksonville city spokesperson said they’re not planning to activate the Emergency Operations Center, but they are monitoring the storm system and will issue reports as needed.
In San Marco, most people to whom News4JAX spoke about the storm weren’t super concerned.
San Marco resident Lucas Carlsson has sandbags lining the side of of his detached garage studio apartment just in case of flooding, but he says he’s not worried.
“I’ll just go with the flow...no pun intended,” he said.
The Duval County Watch Office said there could be localized flooding in low-lying areas or areas with poor drainage. But perhaps the bigger concern is the wind, as there’s a potential for gusts of 40-50 mph.
“I’m a little worried, but [there’s] not much I can do,” Carlsson said.
Emergency management officials recommend securing items in your yard like your trash can and bringing lawn furniture or holiday decorations inside.
Emergency management officials are also warning strong winds could be a hazard for tall vehicles on area bridges, could damage vulnerable structures, and could lead to isolated power outages.
A spokesperson for JEA released the following statement to News4JAX.
We prepare our facilities, systems and our teams for severe weather year-round. In anticipation of Tuesday’s storms, JEA electric crews are ensuring teams are ready and trucks are fully stocked to prepare. Water crews are securing active project sites and are prepared for any necessary response efforts.
The primary focus for our teams during severe weather events is the safety of our crews and community members.
We expect some customers may experience electric outages during Tuesday’s storm. JEA encourages all residential and commercial customers to visit jea.com/outage or call (904) 665-6000 to report and track outages. Customers also can text “OUT” to MyJEA (69532) to report their outage.
In the event of outages, please be assured that getting power back on for everyone will be JEA’s number one priority. We will work as quickly as safety permits to restore power. The number and extant of the outages will determine how long that takes.
The storms also may cause downed power lines. We urge residents to keep clear of any downed wires and to report any instances by calling 904-665-6000.
JEA