As Hurricane Milton forges its path towards Northeast Florida, JEA has stepped up to reinforce its stance on preparedness and community support. The National Hurricane Center reported Hurricane Milton to be a Category 2 storm, with winds hitting speeds of up to 100 mph. With expectations set for heavy rain and damaging winds on Wednesday, JEA urges customers to brace themselves for potential power and water disruptions. As noted by News4Jax, Citizens in a total of 51 counties have been put under a state of emergency by Governor DeSantis, emphasizing the severe nature of the incoming weather conditions.
Affected by the anticipation of Hurricane Milton, JEA is doubling down—continuing the suspension of utility disconnections for nonpayment that initiated after Hurricane Helene. This action was designed to keep the community's focus on safety rather than the concerns of utility interruptions. Given the storm's projection, including flooding risks and substantial power and water outages, it's clear that they're extending this grace period as they prep for what's to come. According to information obtained by First Coast News, residents can expect upward of 6 inches of rain, with tides possibly surging 3 to 5 feet above normal.
With the storm on the horizon, JEA is actively assisting customers with preparedness steps. They encourage residents to keep emergency supply kits ready, bring in outdoor items that might be swept up by the wind, trim trees near structures, and ensure personal devices are fully charged. These measures, outlined in a detailed list provided by Action News Jax, aim to mitigate risks and ensure that the community remains connected and informed throughout the storm's impact.
Further anchoring their support, JEA reminds customers of the trio of options available for outage reporting. These include the online Electric Outage Map, a phone call to the automated system, or a simple text message. As they launch the power to help the community, JEA Public Information Officer Karen McAllister informed News4Jax of their comprehensive website resources, meant to keep customer contact information up-to-date and register for power restoration updates.
