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Widespread power outages expected during Helene; JEA urges residents to be safe, patient

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.Hurricane Helene will not be a major rain event for Jacksonville but strong winds are expected to knock out power across the area.

That’s why JEA has crews standing by.

MORE | Hurricane Helene strengthens to Category 2 on trek toward landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast as dangerous major hurricane | Tornado Watch issued for Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia until 10 p.m. as Hurricane Helene strengthens | Hurricane Helene threatens up to 20 feet of storm surge for Florida’s Big Bend, hurricane conditions well inland

That wind can mean downed trees and downed power lines so it’s important to know what to do should that happen in your neighborhood.

The biggest point of emphasis from JEA is that those downed power lines can still be charged so do not go toward them.

If you see a downed line or tree report it to 904-630-CITY.

If you see a fire or sparking, call 911.

Any service issues can be reported to JEA at (904) 665-6000 or online at JEA.com. You can view an outage map here.

JEA said it will restore power when it is safe to do so. JEA is not able to go up in buckets if the wind is over 30 mph, so JEA asks for residents to be patient.

Repairs will come in three phases:

  • Phase 1 encompasses public safety, focusing on hospitals, shelters and first responders
  • Phase 2 includes places that will bring the majority of customers back as quickly as possible
  • Phase 3 shifts to individual customers repairing circuits to bring back to most power

“Rest assured, we won’t stop until everyone has power,” JEA said.

JEA said it will be prepared with more than 2,200 team members and out-of-state utility crew members to respond to the imminent impacts in Northeast Florida.

JEA also said it’s not just the power lines. When trees come down, roots go up, and they bring water and sewer lines with them. That’s why it has wastewater crews also ready to go.


About the Author

Amanda DeVoe joined the News4JAX team in March 2022 as a morning news and traffic anchor

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