Ben Franklin once said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that couldn't be more true when water starts churning and the clouds start forming out in the Atlantic.  During a tropical storm or hurricane, it pays to be ready when the power goes out and the debris starts flying.

"We want everyone to be safe and to be prepared," says JEA spokeswoman Gerri Boyce.

As we saw with Tropical Storm Beryl, even winds in the 30-40 mile an hour range can easily topple trees and bring down power lines, and the damage would only multiply with hurricane force winds.  But when the power goes out during a hurricane or tropical storm, calling the electric company won't get you anywhere.

Why?  Well, if there's a hurricane or tropical storm, you're probably not the only person without power, and JEA isn't going to make a house call just for you.  At the height of Beryl, over 40,000 JEA customers were without service in Jacksonville.  Besides, all of JEA's line crews will be out assessing damage and starting restoration once the storm dies down, so Boyce your best plan of action is to wait patiently.

"If you lose power during the height of the storm, do NOT call JEA," says Boyce.

Boyce adds that JEA customers should not go near downed power lines or try to fix them by opening up transformers or other JEA equipment.  Instead, call 911 to report a downed power line during a storm.  She also says safety is the top priority for their line crews, and that you should not talk to any line crews actively working.  Also, make sure to unplug appliances and electronics before the storm moves in, as they could cause a fire hazard if they are plugged in and/or running during a power surge or outage.  If you use a small generator, make sure you know how to use it, register it with JEA, and DON'T tie it in to your electric system.

"Our workers are out there thinking that there is no electricity to the house, and it could backfeed onto our lines and hurt our workers," says Boyce.

After the height of the storm has passed, Boyce says line crews will be dispatched and will start figuring out how bad the damage is.  They are responsible for removing any downed power lines and any debris or tree limbs that caused damage on your property.  As far as tree limbs that caused damage to your house or to cable lines, JEA is not responsible.  You can see a full list of what customers are responsible for repairing on their own by clicking here.

Cleaning up debris and storm waste is another chore that comes with any hurricane or tropical storm, and once again, preparedness is the key to making sure the branches and debris in your yard don't damage your home and are removed quickly and efficiently by the city.

"Before the storm, now is the time to start cutting those dead tree limbs and those nuisance limbs out of the way," says Jacksonville Fire/Rescue Chief and Emergency Operations Manager Marty Senterfitt.

Senterfitt says once again, the key is patience because a lot can come down in yards and on roads in a short amount of time.

"Jacksonville has one of the worst tree canopies in the state of Florida, and what we've found with just tropical storms is it can take hundreds of trucks many days to make the loops and to pick up all the debris in Jacksonville, so the word there is patience.  If it's after the storm, we just need to get it out to the street and be patient."

As always, it's important to make sure your emergency preparedness kit is ready to go before the storm hits so you're not scrambling at the last minute to find the last pack of AA batteries and case of bottled water in the city.  Ensure you have non-perishable food for 3 to 5 days, fresh batteries, all your necessary prescriptions and documents, a battery-powered radio, and plenty of fresh water.

Shortly after Tropical Storm Beryl, Mayor Alvin Brown and the city of Jacksonville released an app called JaxReady, which will keep residents up to date on weather and fire conditions in and around the city as well as any evacuation notices or activation of the Emergency Operations Center.  You can also check in regularly with the National Hurricane Center for public advisories and images of the storm's projected track.

All the information you need on how to stay safe, be prepared, and what to do before, during, and after the storm can be found in the WOKV Hurricane Guide.