JEA crews set up poles for demonstrations at this weekend’s Jax Ready Fest at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. | JEA
Published on April 23, 2025 at 11:06 am
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With this year’s hurricane season spinning up in just over a month, Jacksonville officials are set to help residents prepare for what may come with its annual Jax Ready Fest.
The free event at the Prime Osborn Convention Center is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m to 3 p.m. Saturday. It will offer live demonstrations, hands-on learning and interactive exhibits to help residents prepare for any emergency.
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“JaxReady Fest is more than just an event — it’s a fun and interactive way for families to learn how to prepare for emergencies together,” Emergency Preparedness Division Chief Andre Ayoub said in a news release. “With exciting hands-on activities, expert advice, and plenty of free giveaways, we’re making preparedness easy and engaging for all ages.”
The 2025 hurricane season officially starts June 1 and extends through Nov. 30. Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science predicts an above-average season, with 17 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
The first storms will be called Andrea, Barry and Chantal.
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Among the events at Jax Ready Fest:
- People can experience hands-on demonstrations of essential preparedness skills and learn disaster preparedness and response with interactive exhibits.
- Emergency vehicles, JEA utility trucks and equipment used to handle storm damage will be on display. Information on severe weather safety, home emergency planning and more will be discussed at workshops.
- Scavenger hunts and preparedness games are scheduled.
- The JEA will demonstrate its Restoration 1-2-3 power restoration process, designed to assess and repair its facilities and restore power across its 900-square-mile service territory after a storm. Lineworker crews will demonstrate how they handle problems on power poles set up outside the convention center.
- Information about how to administer Narcan to someone with a drug overdose also is scheduled.
For more information, go to JaxReady.com/Fest or follow @JaxReady on social media for event updates.
