State of Emergency Declared After ‘Criminal Attack’ Causes Power Outages in North Carolina

Power outages were reported in Moore County, North Carolina, on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4, 2022. Officials say that criminal activity may be involved. Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

Moore County, North Carolina, declared a state of emergency due to power outages after a “deliberate” attack over the past weekend, leaving about 45,000 people without electricity.

The Moore County Sherriff’s Office said Monday that a state of emergency was declared and will remain in effect for the coming days “due to the power outages.” The emergency order also said that “all civilians and emergency services workers are hereby ordered to comply with the Moore County Emergency Operations Plan.”

The state of emergency means that a curfew is in place from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. every night until Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. Residents in Moore County were also urged to conserve fuel.

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields previously told news outlets that gunshots were fired at power substations and took out the electricity in an act of intentional vandalism. Those individuals, he said, “knew exactly what they were doing” when they fired rounds at power stations.

A spokesperson for Duke Energy confirmed that a substantial amount of equipment has to be replaced.

“Unlike perhaps a storm where you can go in and reroute power somewhere else, that was not an option in this case, so repair has to be complete; in many cases, some of that equipment will have to be replaced,” Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks told the Fayetteville Observer. “Recognizing that we are looking at a pretty sophisticated repair with some pretty large equipment and so we do want citizens of the town to be prepared that this will be a multi-day restoration for most customers extending potentially as long as Thursday.”

The firm said in a news release on Tuesday that 10,000 people had their power restored. It said that about 35,000 customers still lacked power.

“Repairing and replacing this equipment is a methodical process that takes several days,” said Jason Hollifield, a Duke official. “Once repairs are made, we must test the equipment before beginning the final restoration process. We sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding our customers have shown.”

The gate to the Duke Energy West End substation in Moore County, N.C. on Dec. 4, 2022. John Nagy/The Pilot via AP

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper also said that it was a “criminal attack” that left thousands of people without power in Moore County, and officials said that a group of people vandalized and shot at power equipment in the county, causing the outage.

“This kind of attack raises a new level of threat,” Cooper said, according to local news reports. “I am sure that we will learn more about motives of this intentional attack to come. Regardless of motive, violence and sabotage will not be tolerated,” he added.

North Carolina state Sen. Tom McInnis told NPR that authorities are determined to find out who caused the outage. So far, no motive was provided and no suspects have been announced.

“It is going to be very, very dark and it’s going to be chilly tonight,” he said. “And we don’t need to have anyone out on the streets.”

Schools were shut down across the county on Tuesday for a second straight day.

“It is a selfish act. It is cruel,” Carol Haney, the mayor of Southern Pines in Moore County, told CNN on Monday. “There are so many people that are hurting. The revenue stream has been stopped. If you have health issues, it is critical. It is just a horrible, horrible, terrorist, in my opinion, act.”