JEA ready if winter storm brings power outages
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DOWNTOWN JACKSON — With ice comes the threat of downed power lines and homes without electricity. Utility companies across West Tennessee know this all too well and say they’re prepared. The Jackson Energy Authority command bunker is 25 feet below ground in downtown Jackson, meaning they’re safe from the winter weather outside. In the bunker they’re able to monitor outages across the city 24-hours a day in real time. “There’s going to be power outages,” Resident Keith Yonker said. “I can see icing already starting to happen.” With rain, sleet and snow expected across much of West Tennessee Wednesday night, many people could wake up in the dark Thursday morning. “Until we look at getting icing around a half of an inch of ice, it only causes minor outages,” JEA operations manager Robert Mullins said. “So we’re hoping for a lot of snow and not much ice.” But no matter the conditions when we wake up, the Jackson Energy Authority says they’re prepared. “We have customer service reps that are actually on standby,” Mullins said. “They will actually even able to work from home if ice prevents them from getting back and forth to work.” JEA says ice and downed trees are what wreak the most havoc on their more than 800 miles of power lines. Something West Tennesseans say they’re worried about. “It’s a challenge down here, it really really is,” Yonker said. “We’re not used to it. What’s nice though is it doesn’t last.” Whether there’s just one house without power or the entire city, residents can watch it unfold in real time on JEA’s website. “The customer can kind of get a sense of what we’re dealing with,” Mullins said. “From there they can kind of get an idea of restoration times.” Even if this storm brings widespread outages, residents said they think they’ll make it through. If you experience a power outage and are unsure of what number to call, either go to your utility’s website or look on your bill for the customer service number.
