JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As city leaders continue monitoring the potential impacts of Hurricane Milton, JEA is getting ready to respond in the event of power outages and disruptions in water service.
This comes just days after tens of thousands of customers lost power due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
“Well, this is Florida’s Ground Hog Day,” McAllister said. “It’s a big turnaround, but I can say JEA crews are ready.”
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McAllister says 200 JEA line workers are ready to ready to respond should the need arise.
On Monday, News4JAX toured the utility’s main supplies warehouse on Commonwealth Avenue.
Roughly 2,000 transformers are stored at the over 130,000 square foot warehouse, along with countless trucks, lines of cable, poles, etc.
During Hurricane Helene, McAllister said JEA replaced 200 transformers, 111,000 feet of cable, and 70 poles. However, she said this time, restoration may be different due to the fact that Hurricane Milton is expected to have widespread impacts throughout the state. For those reasons, customers may need to wait a bit longer to get their power back.
“Please be patient with us. We did have a significant number of mutual aid crews that were here during Hurricane Helene,” McAllister said. “It will be different for Hurricane Milton because we’re competing for limited resources throughout the state in terms of contractors and mutual aid assistance.”
McAllister said the crews will work up to 16-hour shifts, with 8-hour breaks. Restoration, she said, will work in phases. The first phase begins with assessing the impact, seeing up close what the needs are, and determining the best course of action. Restoration for essential services will go first. This can include fire stations, police stations, hospitals, and their own JEA infrastructure. From there, the crews will move to the neighborhoods.
McAllister urged people to be patient and know crews will be out restoring power and water services. She also says now is the time to prepare your home.
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“This is the time to get ready, make sure any outdoor furniture you have is secured and brought inside,” McAllister said. “Review your emergency plan with your family. Make sure you have your flashlights, your back up batteries, your phones are charged.”
McAllister said crews that were sent to Brunswick, Georgia, to assist after Hurricane Helene arrived back in Jacksonville Sunday. They’ll be among those ready to respond.
