Evidence of sabotage was found at two key electrical substations after a massive blackout Saturday night, prompting the Moore County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the incident as a “criminal incident” and call in the FBI to assist in the investigation. A state of emergency was declared in Moore County on Sunday and a countywide curfew was imposed from 9pm to 5am Sunday night. Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields told ABC News that the curfew will be extended through Monday night. Jeff Brooks, a spokesman for Duke Energy, the local utility, said the two electrical substations were severely damaged in the attacks and much of the equipment will need to be replaced. He said it could be until Thursday when power is fully restored. Gerardo Anicero warms in front of a makeshift fire as he watches Duke Energy personnel work to restore power to a disabled electrical substation that workers said was hit by fire after the Moore County Sheriff said vandalism caused a massive power outage , in Carthage. NC, on December 4, 2022. Jonathan Drake/Reuters At least 35,430 utility customers woke up for a second day Monday without power, officials said.
“It was a nightmare”
Schools across the county were canceled indefinitely and a shelter was opened in Carthage, a central city in Moore County, for residents suffering from the disruption, officials said. The power outages started around 7 p.m. on Saturday and thousands of Duke Energy customers were without power Sunday after freezing temperatures overnight. Fields told a news conference on Sunday that the perpetrator or perpetrators of the sabotage “knew exactly what they were doing.” He said multiple shots were fired at each of the damaged substations and a gate was opened on one of the properties to reach the target. “We faced something (Saturday) night at Moore County that we’ve never faced before, but we’ll get through it,” Fields said. “I can promise the perpetrators out there, we will find you.” Fields added, “that was targeted. It wasn’t random.” No arrests have been announced. Fields declined to comment on a possible motive, but said the investigation has yet to uncover evidence linking the vandalism to a Downtown Divas drag show in Southern Pines that has sparked protests in the community. The drag show was scheduled for Saturday night and was canceled due to the blackout. Fields told ABC News on Monday that law enforcement agencies across the county have been dealing with several emergency calls in the past 48 hours, including a couple of robberies, one at a gun store. “It’s been a nightmare,” Fields said, adding that the FBI, Homeland Security, ATF and a number of federal agencies are involved in this investigation. Fields said this was a deliberate act and if someone dies as a result of the blackout, the suspect or suspects could face murder charges. The sheriff called the attacks “eye-opening” and said he has spoken with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and state senators and representatives about beefing up security around the county’s infrastructure.
the White House was informed
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was briefed on the power outages, and a spokesman said the department was coordinating with the FBI. The DHS CISA Infrastructure Security Agency also provides resources to Duke Energy, which is working to restore power. “DHS will continue to share information with the FBI and state and local authorities as the investigation progresses. CISA leadership and regional teams have offered support to Duke Energy as they work to restore service,” a DHS spokesperson said Monday. . Duke Energy personnel work to restore power to a second crippled electrical substation after the Moore County Sheriff said vandalism caused a massive power outage, in Carthage, NC, on Dec. 4, 2022. Jonathan Drake/Reuters National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the White House is closely monitoring the incident, adding that strengthening infrastructure against external threats is a top priority. “We’re obviously going to let that investigation take place. I think we’ve heard the president talk about that many times. He’s made the security of infrastructure vital and the resiliency of that infrastructure, whether it comes from natural threats or man-made threats. priority from the get-go,” Kirby said. “We still have a long way to go. I think the president will be the first to admit that.
“Multi-day recovery”
Brooks said utility crews are working “around the clock” to restore power, but he said, “we’re looking at a pretty sophisticated repair with pretty big equipment.” Several law enforcement agencies in Moore County provided security as crews worked to repair the damage. “We want citizens to be prepared that this will be a multi-day restoration for most customers,” Brooks said. Mike Cameron, assistant city manager and Southern Pines fire chief, told the Raleigh News and Observer that several vehicle accidents were attributed to the power outage, including a multi-vehicle crash that injured multiple people at an intersection in Southern Pines. “The car wreck was completely because the brake lights were out,” Cameron told the News and Observer. Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, North Carolina, also lost power and had to turn to generator backup, officials said. Gov. Cooper said in a tweet that he spoke with Duke Energy and state law enforcement officials about the crisis. “An attack like this on critical infrastructure is a serious, intentional crime and I expect state and federal authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring those responsible to justice,” Cooper tweeted.
