JEA monitoring tropical disturbance, prepares for potential impact on Northeast Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — JEA is closely monitoring a tropical disturbance identified as “Invest 97L,” expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. The storm may impact Northeast Florida from Sunday evening through Tuesday.

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The disturbance is predicted to pass the Florida Keys on Saturday before potentially developing into a weak tropical storm near Tampa on Sunday morning. In response to the impending weather, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Thursday, declaring a state of emergency for the vast majority of Florida counties. The state faces a significant threat of heavy rainfall, with projections of at least 12 inches of rain over the next week.

“Our customers rely on us, particularly during severe weather. JEA’s 2,200-plus team members stand ready to mobilize and respond as needed as this tropical system approaches,” said JEA Interim CEO and Managing Director Vickie Cavey.

JEA has been proactive in investing in utility upgrades, including current technologies and electric and water infrastructure. Enhancements include replacing wooden transmission structures with ductile iron, steel, and concrete, adding generators and pumps to facilities, and hardening electric service to critical pump stations.

Additionally, JEA conducts year-round tree trimming to reduce storm-related power outages caused by falling branches.

Keep up with the latest on the tropics with “Talking the Tropics with Mike,” which is updated daily.

To keep customers informed, JEA will provide important notifications via email and social media. Community members can find preparation tips and other resources at jea.com/storm. Customers are encouraged to update their contact information on their jea.com account and sign up for voice, email, or text alerts. In the event of an outage, JEA will contact customers directly with restoration updates. Customers enrolled in outage alerts can also text “OUT” to MyJEA (69532) to report their outage.

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