According to Officials, Power Outages in North Carolina Were Caused by Gunfire at Various Substations

After two electric substations were damaged by gunfire the night before in what officials described as a “intentional attack,” the county sheriff of a central North Carolina county where approximately 45,000 people were without electricity declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew on Sunday night. The county was also under a curfew.

According to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, the power outages in Moore County started just after 7 p.m. on Saturday. Moore County is located around 90 miles east of Charlotte. The loss of electricity is expected to last at least until Thursday evening, according to the authorities. There was no indication as to whether or not the curfew, which began at nine o’clock at night on Sunday and was scheduled to finish at five in the morning on Monday, would be prolonged.

Ronnie Fields, the sheriff of Moore County, said during a press conference on Sunday that the assault looked to be targeted, but he did not disclose any additional information on a motive or suspect. According to him, investigations are also being conducted into the incident by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Sheriff Fields said that he was unaware of any link between the damage and a drag event in the region that had received reaction, but that the police were examining all possibilities in response to concerns over whether or not the vandalism was tied to the drag show.

She said that the performance, which took place on Saturday evening at an old cinema theatre in Southern Pines, around 80 miles southwest of Raleigh, was approximately 40 minutes into it when the power unexpectedly went out.

As one of the artists proceeded to sing a cappella, audience members brought out their phones to illuminate the room. This was followed by an impromptu performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which was performed by the performer. Ms. Mathers referred to it as “a great moment” in her remarks.

A spokesman for Duke Energy Corporation, which supplies electricity to thousands of homes and businesses in the area, named Jeff Brooks, stated that the damage to the station was “intentional,” and that it would require extensive repairs that could take several days to complete. Brooks also stated that the damage would require extensive repairs.

According to Mr. Brooks, 95 percent of the approximately 47,000 homes and businesses in Moore County that are covered by Duke Energy were without power as of Sunday afternoon. Moore County is a region that many people believe to be an ideal retirement location. According to him, a few hundred clients located on the outskirts of the county were also impacted by the outage.

According to Bryan Phillips, who is the director of public safety for the county, officials have created a shelter at the Moore County Sports Complex. On Monday, there won’t be any classes held.

Snowstorms and other instances of severe weather have in the past posed a strain to the power system, which is why people of Moore County are not surprised when they experience power outages. In contrast to other instances, such as when portions may be fixed in situ after severe weather causes a power outage, the components of the substations that were destroyed need to be totally replaced.

The FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital did not have an influx of patients as of Sunday afternoon, according to Gretchen Kelly, a spokesperson for the facility. Although some individuals went there to charge their phones or medical equipment, the hospital did not report any new patients.

The emergency generator at the hospital, which covers a 15-county area in the Carolinas, has at least five days’ worth of fuel on hand and the capability to acquire more if more is required.

On his way to spend the weekend with his parents in Moore County, Andrew Wilkins was travelling from Washington, District of Columbia, to that area on Saturday night when he saw that all of the lights, including those at a gas station and drugstore, were out as he was approaching.

One of their neighbours is using the electricity from their generator to keep medicines cool in their refrigerator so that they may donate them to the local pharmacy. Mr. Wilkins and his family have access to a water supply; nevertheless, he said that some people of rural areas who depend on wells and pumps might run out of drinkable water.

Graham Pitts was able to get in touch with his parents in Moore County from Memphis, despite the spotty phone reception in that area of the state. Mr. Pitts said that they were at the home of an uncle who has a stove that burns wood along with other members of their family at the time.

This morning, several of his family, he claimed, went to a grocery shop in quest of information while getting coffee in the store’s cafe.