NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – Two utility workers were injured in an accident involving a main power line in Fernandina Beach.
The accident knocked down power lines and left thousands of people living on Amelia Island without power for hours.
It happened near the Thomas J. Shave Jr. Bridge around 4:30 p.m.
The power returned to Amelia Island later around 8 p.m., but for hours the entire area was in the dark.
Deputies were directing traffic because the traffic lights were out and gas stations were empty.
More than 16,000 out of 29,000 Florida Public Utilities customers were impacted by Monday’s power outage.
“We didn’t have any idea what was going on so we just got out the old oil lamps and sat in the dark for a while,” said resident Mykle Mettee.
Emergency managers said power lines were knocked down accidentally and two workers suffered electrical burns.
Madelyn Pedraza lives with the Mettees and says she was at work when the accident happened.
“The lights went out but we had internet and then all of a sudden we saw a cloud of fog, or smoke filled the streets. It was like a haze and we heard a noise that was like a siren so we thought it was a plant," Pedraza said.
After nearly three and half hours in the dark, the Mettees were relieved to have their power back on.
News4Jax reached out to Nassau County Emergency Management about the condition of the two workers.
They said one worker has 3rd-degree burns and the other worker has 1st and second-degree burns.