Outage forces Jacksonville learning center to close ahead of cold snap

Tuesday was supposed to be an exciting day for the Just For Kids Learning Center in north Jacksonville.

It was to be the first day that the center's main building was open since Hurricane Irma flooded it. But then, just a little while after the center opened, the power went out.

“The little babies are on a schedule. They can’t wait, so when you can’t warm the bottle in a microwave or a Crock-Pot, we have to move quickly for them,” said the center's director Beverly Price.

While JEA crews worked to restore power, Price said she had to make calls to parents, asking them to come and pick up their children, because she didn’t want it to get too cold for the children inside.

We also spoke with JEA spokesperson Gerri Boyce about this week’s winter storm.

She said the cold weather will cause people to use more electricity.

She said the heat is about 40 to 50 percent of your electric bill, followed by your water heater, which is about 12 to 17 percent.

She suggests neighbors keep their heat at 68 degrees.

“You can’t go from 68 to 75 because what will happen you’ll see your emergency heat come on,” said Boyce.

She said that will activate your heat strips, which can be about three times more expensive to run.

Price said she’s asked parents to dress children in warm clothes during this cold snap, and to have extra blankets ready for the kids if needed.

Cox Media Group