JEA Conducts 3-Day Hurricane Preparedness Exercise to Strengthen Storm Readiness

JEA Incident Management leaders and employees participated in a comprehensive three-day Hurricane Preparedness exercise from June 2-4 in collaboration with the City of Jacksonville Emergency Preparedness Division. JEA has held the training exercise annually since 2011 to strengthen its readiness for severe weather and emergency response. 

The exercise included JEA leaders who serve as Incident Command System section chiefs during severe weather and other emergencies, coordinating response and recovery efforts across the utility. The training opened with remarks from Jacksonville Emergency Preparedness Division Chief Andre Ayoub and JEA Managing Director and CEO Vickie Cavey.  

“We always need to practice our communications, our preparedness and our responsiveness,” Cavey said.   

Throughout the three-day exercise, JEA tested its emergency response plans using a simulated Category 2 storm, “Hurricane Zora.” Teams worked through realistic scenarios involving widespread flooding, power outages, infrastructure impacts and communication disruptions. 

Exercises like these help JEA evaluate and strengthen its preparedness, response and recovery capabilities while providing valuable insights for utility leaders. The training also reinforces coordination among internal teams and community partners, helping ensure JEA is prepared to respond effectively when severe weather threatens Northeast Florida.