GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Although hurricane season has officially started, the city said it never stopped preparing for the next storm.

Work crews work year-round, ensuring tree branches are being cut back to avoid power lines. They also constantly monitor drains and ditches so they won’t face significant challenges when the storm clouds brew.

“We are in a constant state of readiness,” said Public Works Director Mike Null. “We always try to stay ready.”

Null said Green Cove Springs learned lessons following Hurricane Irma in 2017, but he said the city experienced as much damage from last year’s Hurricanes Nicole and.

“The water level was three feet higher than normal for Hurricane Irma, but Nicole and Ian did a lot of erosion at the end of some of our right of ways,” Null said. “We lost 40 feet of roadway going toward the river. We have grants in design to fix that. We have an understanding of our storm areas.”

Crews will cut trees back for the next three weeks to create a wider swath for power lines. The city has also tweaked its hazard mitigation plan to raise lift stations and control panels. It’s part of our normal prep.”

Waterways make up so much of the city’s character, especially the St. Johns River and Governors Creek. The challenge is to prepare for the unpredictability of rising water.

“At the beginning of hurricane season, we schedule all of our updates,” Null said. “We make sure we have enough supplies, especially for our electric department.”

Null said the city also has a stormwater capital plan for the future.