State of emergency in North Carolina after attack on electrical substations

• North Carolina under a state of emergency.
• “An attack like this against crucial infrastructure is a crime.”
• «It was not random,» said the police chief.

Two electrical substations in a North Carolina county were damaged by gunfire in what is being investigated as a criminal offense. The attacks causing damage that could take days to repair and left tens of thousands of people without power, authorities said Sunday.

In response to the power outages, which began shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday in various parts of Moore County, authorities announced a state of emergency that included a curfew from 9 p.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Monday morning, according to the AP.

Schools closed after attack

Additionally, county schools will remain closed on Monday. «An attack like this against critical infrastructure is a serious and intentional crime, and I look forward to state and federal authorities fully investigating and bringing those responsible to justice,» Governor Roy Cooper tweeted.

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said at a news conference Sunday that authorities have yet to determine the motive. He noted that someone stopped and «opened fire on the substation, and the same thing happened with the other one,» according to The Associated Press.

Who carried out the attack?

“No group has stepped up to acknowledge or accept that they’re the ones that done it,” Fields said. «We’re looking at all avenues.» The police chief stressed that the FBI is working with state investigators to determine who the perpetrator was. He also assured that it was «targeted,» according to AP.

«It was not random,» he said. Fields said police forces are providing security at substations and businesses overnight. “We will have folks out there tonight around the clock,” Fields said. Approximately 37,000 customers in the county remained without power as of Sunday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us.

Shelters set up after substation attack

With cold temperatures forecast for Sunday night, the county also set up a shelter at a sports complex in Carthage. Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said several pieces of equipment were damaged and will need to be replaced. He said that, although the company is trying to resume service as soon as possible, he warned customers that outages could last for days.

“We are looking at a pretty sophisticated repair with some fairly large equipment and so we do want citizens of the town to be prepared that this will be a multiday restoration for most customers, extending potentially as long as Thursday,” Brooks said at the press conference, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Filed Under: State of Emergency in North Carolina

How they found the substations

The county school superintendent, Dr. Tim Locklear, announced that Monday’s classes were cancelled. «From this point on, we’ll be looking at the situation on a day-to-day basis to make those decisions,» Locklear said. The Pilot newspaper in Southern Pines reported that one of its reporters saw a damaged substation gate lying on an access road.

“It was evident that a post supporting the gate had been cut off at ground level. The substation infrastructure was seriously damaged,” the newspaper reported. The county of about 100,000 people is about an hour’s drive southwest of Raleigh and is known for its golf clubs in Pinehurst and other communities, the AP reports. Filed Under: State of Emergency in North Carolina