Electrical Safety advice from JEA

Tips if you lose power this hurricane season

JACKSONVILLE – With Tropical Storm Andrea approaching and hurricane season in full swing the Jacksonville Electric Authority has released some advice to keep your home safe during the storm. 

To report outages in your area call JEA at 904-665-6000

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To view current outages visit https://jea.com/Outage

Generator Safety:

They ask people to make sure they are aware how to properly run a generator.  If you are unaware of how to to run it safely, do not use it. 

If you do use a generator, make sure it is in a well-ventilated area. The fumes can be deadly if inhaled.

Electrical Safety:

If your home is damaged by water or flooding, contact a professional electrician to asses the damage. They will be able to tell you when you can safely turn your power back on.

If a power line is down in your area, contact JEA immediately. Do not approach the down power lines because they may be energized.  You can be electrocuted just by getting within proximity to the power line. 

If a boil water notice is declared in your neighborhood sanitize all water your drink including the water you would use to brush your teeth. But if you cannot boil water, adding a cap-full of non-concentrated bleach to tap water will make it safe to drink.

Here is the process:

  • 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 percent 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 eight 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

JEA's Restoration Process:

If the event of power loss, JEA plans to first work to restore facilities that deliver power to the largest number of customers. That might mean a delay in your neighborhood.  First JEA repairs their own facilities that produce power and the lines that deliver to customers.  Then they restore hospitals and police and fire stations because they provide essential emergency services. Next they repair the damage that will take the shortest amount of time to restore power.  Once those major repairs have been made, they will work to restore all individual outages. 

For more information on hurricane preparation, restoration and safety, visit www.jea.com/hurricane or follow them on Twitter at @NewsfromJEA

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.