Just two weeks after Hurricane Helene left more than 300,000 Jacksonville-area homes and businesses without power, JEA and its crews are preparing for another round of outages as Hurricane Milton plans to cut a path across central Florida, bringing wind, rain and storm surge to much of the state, including Northeast Florida, late Wednesday and Thursday.
Jacksonville’s public utility started the week with far fewer contract crews lined up to help regular JEA workers restore power after those outside crews redeployed to Helene’s hard-hit areas of western North Carolina and surrounding states devastated by the storm.
But as of Wednesday, JEA has rallied to bring in 59 contract crews, five more than during Helene.
At its peak, JEA power outages topped 140,000 across its 900-square-mile service area during Helene. Within three days of the storm’s hit, the utility had restored power to more than 99% of its customers. A week ago, JEA dispatched 29 crew members to Brunswick, Ga., to assist Georgia Power in the aftermath of Helene’s destruction there. Those JEA workers have all returned to Jacksonville.
But JEA cautions that Hurricane Milton is likely to cause even more utility disruptions.
“We are asking customers to be prepared for water and power outages and that there may be longer-than-normal service restoration times,” utility spokeswoman Karen McAllister said Tuesday.
So how does JEA prioritize restoring power to its customers?
Is your electricity out? See the latest power outages in Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Nassau counties
How JEA prioritizes restoring power in Jacksonville
The utility divides its restoration priorities in three phases: public safety, individual customers and final repairs.
Public safety: JEA says the first priority will be restoring power for essential services, including repairs to JEA’s own power plants, transmission lines, substations and water and sewer facilities. Hospitals, shelters, and police and fire stations are also prioritized.
Next up will be a focus on high-impact repairs that will return power to the majority of customers who are in the dark across the utility’s 8,200 miles of power lines crisscrossing the city.
Individual customers: JEA then will move to make repairs on a circuit-by-circuit basis. A circuit contains about 2,500 customers.
Final repairs: The final stage will be for isolated outages affecting customers who will be waiting the longest to get electricity back for their lights, appliances and air conditioning.
How to report a power outage to JEA
-
Visit jea.com/outage to view JEA’s Electric Outage Map and report an electric or water outage.
-
Call (904) 665-6000 to use JEA’s automated system.
-
Text OUT to 69532 (MyJEA)
In the meantime, here are some things you can do to get ready.
How to prepare for a power outage
-
Take an inventory of the items you need that require electricity and make sure you have batteries or alternative power sources for all of them. Charge up any portable chargers or power banks.
-
Talk to your medical provider about medical devices powered by electricity and your best course of action. Ask about any refrigerated medicines you need and how long they can be stored at higher temperatures.
-
Make sure you have enough nonperishable food and water. Keep your freezers and refrigerators closed. Experts say a refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours, while a full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours. Use coolers with ice if necessary.
-
Unplug any appliances or electronics in your home, including internet modems and TV cables to avoid problems with power spikes when it comes back on.
-
Do not turn off utilities unless you suspect damage or local officials tell you to.
During and after the storm
-
Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwaters. You can easily get infected and there’s no way to tell if a loose power line could be in there. Back up and pick another path.
-
If rising floodwaters threaten your home or business, or if you are forced to evacuate, turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.
-
Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Assume any power line you see is active. Report downed lines to 911 and your local power company and stay at least 35 feet away from them and anything they are touching.
-
If a power line falls across a vehicle while you’re in it, stay in it and call for help. If you have to get out due to fire or flooding, jump out and land with both feet, make sure you do not touch the car and the ground at the same time.
-
Never touch a circuit break or replace a fuse while standing on a wet surface. If a circuit breaker has been tripped, contact an electrician to inspect them before turning them on.
-
Don’t use any electrical equipment or electronics that have been submerged. Have a qualified electrical inspector check the electrical system.
How do I report or check on power outages?
Check your utility bill for contact information. Some common power companies in Florida are:
-
Beaches Energy: Call 904-247-6241.
-
Central Florida Electric Cooperative: Call (800) 227-1302, report online or through the CFEC Power Partner app, Check the outages map here.
-
Clay Electric Cooperative: Call 1-888-434-9844. Check outages map.
-
Duke Energy: Click here, use the app or call 800-228-8485, check outages map
-
Florida Power & Light: Report it online or through the app, or check your utility bill for your local number. Check the outages map.
-
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority: Call (772) 466-7703.
-
JEA: Call (904) 665-6000 or visit jea.com/outage.
-
Lakeland Electric: Call (863) 834-4248, report online or check the outages map
-
New Smyrna Beach Utilities: Call 386-427-1361, report online or check the outages map
-
Orlando Utilities Commission: Call 407-423-9018, text OUT to 69682, or log in to report online. Check the outages map.
-
Peace River Electric Cooperative: Call 800-282-3824, report online or through the app, or text PRECO to 800-282-3824. Check outage map.
-
City of Tallahassee: call 850-891-4968 or 711 (TDD), report online at Talgov.com/Outages or use the DigiTally mobile app
-
SECO Energy: Call (352) 793 -3801 or report online. Check outage map.
-
Talquin Electric: Sign up here for text notification and outage reporting via text, check outages alerts
-
TECO Energy Tampa Electric: Call (813) 223-0800 or 1-888-223-0800 or log into your account. Check outages map.
-
West Florida Electric: Call 1-844-688-2431 or text 1-800-342-7400. Check outages map.
-
Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative: Call 352-567-5133, report online or through the app.
Contributing: Samantha Neely and C.A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Does Jacksonville, Florida have power? Hurricane Milton updates
