According to officials, armed vandals are accused of triggering a large power outage throughout a North Carolina county, which has left around 45,000 consumers in the dark amid frigid weather.
Following the enormous blackout Saturday night, evidence of sabotage was discovered at two important electrical substations, leading the Moore County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the event as a “criminal occurrence” and request assistance from the FBI.
Moore County announced a state of emergency on Sunday, and a countywide curfew of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. was due to be implemented that night.
The two electrical substations were substantially damaged in the attacks, according to Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson for Duke Energy, the local public company, and most of the equipment would have to be rebuilt. He estimated that electricity would not be fully restored until Thursday.
Schools around the county have been closed indefinitely, and a shelter has been created in Carthage, a central Moore County town, for those affected by the disruption, according to officials.
The disruptions began at 7 p.m. Saturday, and thousands of Duke Energy customers were still without power on Sunday after experiencing frigid temperatures overnight.
Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields stated at a press conference on Sunday that the saboteur or saboteurs “knew precisely what they were doing.” He said that numerous bullets were fired at each of the damaged substations, and that a gate at one of the sites was forced open to access the target.
“We confronted something in Moore County last night that we’d never encountered before, but we’ll get through it,” Fields said. “I can assure the culprits out there that we will catch you.”
Fields added, “this was targeted. It wasn’t random.”
There have been no arrests announced. Fields declined to speculate on a possible motivation, but said the inquiry has yet to unearth anything tying the vandalism to the contentious Downtown Divas drag performance in Southern Pines, which has prompted community outrage. The drag event, which was supposed to take place on Saturday night, was cancelled owing of the blackout.
Utility personnel are working “around the clock” to restore electricity, according to Brooks, but “we’re looking at a highly intricate repair with some fairly heavy equipment.” Several Moore County law enforcement agencies were providing protection while crews worked to repair the damage.
“We do want folks to be aware that most consumers will require a multi-day repair,” Brooks said.
According to Mike Cameron, Southern Pines’ deputy town manager and fire chief, many automobile accidents were blamed on the power loss, including a multiple car incident that wounded several persons at an intersection in Southern Pines.
“The automobile crash was completely caused by the stop lights not working,” Cameron told the News & Observer.
Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, North Carolina, also lost electricity and had to use its backup generator, according to officials.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper stated on Twitter that he has discussed the problem with Duke Energy and state law enforcement personnel.
“They are investigating and attempting to restore power to individuals who have been affected. The state is offering assistance as needed “Cooper stated.