WELLS — A dramatic video posted by Wells Police to their Facebook page shows a wave making contact with a power line, setting off a huge flash and cutting power to the area.

Dash-cam footage from Sgt. Allen Wilson on Monday shows his cruiser driving up Webhannet Drive during a particularly high tide, with several breakers cresting over the seawall and spreading across the road. One of the waves makes contact with a power line, causing a huge flash of light. 

Wells dispatcher Saundra Skoczen, who also maintains the Facebook page, says she had never heard of the waves hitting the power lines and causing a blackout before, but she’s familiar with the area.

“That is a notorious area for high waves and splashover … and it always brings in quite a bit of debris from the ocean: (mostly) seaweed and rocks,” Skoczen said.

Skoczen said people should avoid the area during high tides and storms, as arcing power lines are not the only danger. In another video, which Skoczen said the police department wouldn’t be releasing, an officer who was checking on people in the same area had a wave crash over the vehicle.

“People are curious and want to see stuff like that, but it’s always dangerous and people should avoid the area,” Skoczen said.

As of Wednesday, the video had been viewed over 130,000 times. Several comments on Facebook complained about the regular loss of power to the area, which was out from 2 a.m. to about 5 a.m.

“It happens every time there is a wind driven storm surge at high tide because no one responsible for the electric poles is smart enough to move them to the other side of the street !!!” a comment by Brenda Mannino stated.