JEA Encourages Customers to Have a Hurricane Plan

2013-05-31

Jacksonville, FL - JEA encourages all customers to have a hurricane plan in place before a hurricane is on the horizon.

“We work on our hurricane plan all year to ensure we are prepared and can recover services as quickly and safely as possible following a storm,” said Paul McElroy, JEA Managing Director and CEO. “Our customers need to have a plan too.”  

Generator Safety  

JEA recommends you do not use a generator unless you know how to use one safely. If you do purchase a generator, use it outside your home in a well-ventilated area. Fumes from a running generator can be deadly.

Electrical Safety

If you plan to evacuate, turn off the circuit breakers for the water heater. Also, turn off power to your home at the main electrical panel, and turning off water at the home's main service valve.

• If you rely on electricity to operate necessary medical equipment, make arrangements now to ensure your safety in the event of a loss of power. People with "special needs" should contact the local Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Jacksonville at (904) 630-2472.
• Should your home or business experience water or flood damage, consult a private electrician to determine if it is safe to restore power to your home.
• Please call 911 immediately to report a downed electric line. STAY AWAY from all downed power lines because they may be energized. If you get close enough to an energized power line you can be electrocuted - even without actually touching the wire.  

Water and Sewer Safety  

Stay away from any raw sewage and contact JEA at (904) 665-6000 to report sewer overflows.

In the case of boil water notices being declared in your neighborhood and you cannot boil water, use regular (not concentrated) bleach to purify water for drinking, as specified by the American Red Cross.

• Add 16 drops of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, or 8 drops per 2-liter bottle of water. Stir to mix. Sodium hypochlorite of the concentration of 5.25% to 6% should be the only active ingredient in the bleach. There should not be any added soap or fragrances.
• Let stand 30 minutes.
• If it smells of chlorine, you can use it. If it does not smell of chlorine, add 16 more drops of chlorine bleach per gallon of water (or 8 drops per 2-liter bottle of water), let stand 30 minutes, and smell it again. If it smells of chlorine, you can use it. If it still does not smell of chlorine, discard it and find another source of water.
• Continue to use bottled or disinfected water for drinking and cooking until JEA's water supply has been declared safe. Listen to local news sources for regular updates. 

JEA’s Restoration Process  

Our plan focuses on returning power to the facilities that deliver power to the largest number of affected customers first. First, we repair damage to the JEA facilities that produce power and the lines that carry it from our plants.Then, we focus on restoring power to the customers who provide essential services to your community, such as hospitals, police, and fire stations. Next, we repair damage that will return power to the greatest number of customers in the least amount of time. Once major repairs have been made, we begin working to restore individuals and small groups of customers. We then begin the process of going street by street and house by house to make the final repairs that will get everyone's power back on.

Learn more information on hurricane preparation.

JEA maintains more than 729 miles of transmission lines and 6,547 miles of distribution lines in its electric system. On the water and sewer side, JEA has 4,208 miles of water lines and 3,708 miles of collection lines. 

JEA is the seventh-largest community-owned electric utility in the United States and one of the largest water and sewer utilities in the nation providing electric, water and sewer service to residents in northeast Florida. 

Category:

• customer
• electric
• sewer
• storm
• water