A power outage disrupted holiday shopping plans for hundreds of Columbia County customers on Christmas Eve when a truck carrying an oversized load struck a power line, causing multiple power poles to snap.

The incident, which occurred late in the morning at the busy intersection of Flowing Wells Road and Washington Road in Evans, left over 600 homes and businesses without power.

According to Columbia County Emergency Dispatch, the truck’s load caught a power line, bringing down at least two utility poles. Crews from Georgia Power were quickly dispatched to the scene, and as of 5:20 p.m., power had been restored to about 175 customers, down from an earlier high of more than 600.

Resident Morgan Moe posted a photo of the damage on Facebook around 12 noon with this message: “An 18 wheeler snapped 2 poles right in front of Gerald Jones Honda. [I don’t know] what’s going on in Evans but don’t even leave your house. Power lines down. Traffic lights out. No power at some stores in Mullens Crossing.”

Columbia County Fire Rescue confirmed the truck, a flatbed tractor-trailer, caused significant damage to the electrical infrastructure, with the repair efforts taking several hours due to the need for pole replacements and reinstallation of wires.

The power outage came at a particularly inconvenient time, as many were out for last-minute holiday shopping. Local businesses in the area were reportedly forced to close temporarily, and residents faced delays in essential services.