JEA to Welcome Out-of-State Crews in Preparation for Potential Hurricane Helene

2024-09-24

JACKSONVILLE – JEA continues to monitor Tropical Storm Helene and will be prepared with more than 2,200 team members and out-of-state utility crew members to respond to the imminent impacts here in Northeast Florida.

JEA is expecting assistance from SPE Group, which will be providing line workers to perform emergency restoration services. SPE Group is providing 218 crew members from Florida, Alabama, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. With the additional contract line workers, the number of personnel ready to respond in JEA’s service area will total more than 400.

The storm strengthened into Tropical Storm Helene this morning and is projected to become a major hurricane on Wednesday. Current models indicate landfall in the Big Bend area on Thursday.

Starting Wednesday, Sept. 25, JEA will temporarily suspend customer disconnections for non-payment as we mobilize to support our community.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, JEA’s Customer Solutions Center at its downtown headquarters will be closed. Customers can pay their bill or manage their account using JEA’s digital self-service options through JEA.com.

Be Prepared

JEA encourages customers to be prepared for possible power outages and isolated flooding later this week.

Before the storm, residential and commercial customers should visit jea.com/storm to ensure contact information is up to date and to register for power restoration alerts.

Customers also can prepare by:

• Ensuring supply kits are stocked.
• Reviewing family or business emergency plans.
• Bringing loose outdoor items indoors.
• Ensuring trees are trimmed near your home or business.

Outages and Safety

Once the storm passes and weather reports indicate it is safe, JEA immediately enters the restoration phase of our emergency operations. We ask for patience as crews assess the outages caused by the storm. JEA crews will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore services.

There are three ways to report an outage:

1. Visit jea.com/outage to view JEA’s Electric Outage Map and report an electric or water outage.
2. Call (904) 665-6000 to use our automated system.
3. Text OUT to 69532 (MyJEA).

About JEA

JEA is a municipal utility providing safe, reliable and affordable services to more than one million residents across four Northeast Florida counties. JEA is not owned by investors and does not earn a profit. It was created by the City of Jacksonville to meet the electricity and water needs of those who live in Jacksonville and surrounding communities. JEA’s 2,200-plus workforce is dedicated to meeting customer needs, both today and for generations to come, while protecting our precious natural resources and supporting our region’s growth and economic development. Learn more at jea.com.

Media Contact

Karen McAllister
Media@jea.com | 904-665-5500

Category:

• customer
• storm