https://abc11.com/moore-county-powe...urce=ground.news&utm_medium=referralOne of the talking heads ponders if it was in protest of a larger drag queen show (which was able to continue in case you care).
How much sophistication does it take to know what to shoot on a power substation?
Gunfire takes out power substations in Moore Co.; prompts State of emergency, curfew, closed schools
Sunday, December 4, 2022 8:36PM
MOORE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Thousands of people in Moore County are still without power after the sheriff said someone attacked two power substations Saturday.
According to the sheriff's office, the outages began just after 7 p.m. Saturday when the two Duke Energy stations were intentionally targeted with gunfire.
Approximately 38,000 people lost power and were forced to deal with the freezing temperatures Overnight Saturday, and will again overnight Sunday.
Sheriff Ronnie Fields said the Town of Southern Pines is completely without power. According to the latest census data, the population is about 16,000 people.
The county has declared a state of emergency and opened a shelter in Carthage that can accommodate 250 people.
Moore County Schools announced Sunday afternoon that all schools will be closed Monday due to widespread power outages. Officials say an announcement will be made Monday evening to inform parents and staff of schools status on Tuesday.
Sheriff Ronnie Fields said the mass outage is currently believed to have been caused by a criminal act.
During a new conference Sunday afternoon Sheriff Fields announced, the FBI and state authorities have joined the investigation into the Moore County power outages, and a countywide curfew has been issued from 9:00 p.m. to 5 a.m.
He said his deputies are looking into whether there's a link to a drag show Saturday night in Moore County, but there are no immediate connections to the drag show.
Sheriff Fields said as of Sunday, no individual or group has stepped forward to acknowledge responsibility.
"It's a very serious situation," Fields said. "We're living in some challenging times. We're dealing with things we never thought we'd be dealing with."
Drag Show in Moore County continued Saturday night despite mass power outage
The show went on for an audience attending a drag show in Moore County during a mass power outage Saturday night.
Two substations were heavily damaged during the incident. Duke Energy says they will need to bring in special equipment and crews to complete the repairs.
The Duke Energy Outage Map initially reported that power was expected to be restored by 10 p.m. Sunday, but then a Duke Energy representative said Sunday afternoon that the company was unsure when the power would be restored and it may not be until Thursday due to the unusual nature of the outage.
Public safety officials in Moore County asked those affected in a tweet Saturday to refrain from calling 911 to report a power outage.
Here's how the county is responding so far
Moore County is operating under a state of emergency
Curfew in place from 9:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m.
Moore County Schools (MCS) are closed Monday
The school system issued statement on the school closing:
"Moore County has suffered a major power outage affecting most of the county. Although some schools in the northern and central part of the county may have power, all school operations are impacted by this power outage. Therefore, all schools will be closed tomorrow, Monday, December 5, for students and staff. An announcement will be made tomorrow evening to inform parents and staff of the status of schools for Tuesday."
Businesses are unable to open, leaving owners and workers in limbo.
Red Cross shelter opened at 4 pm
Moore County shelter operated by the Red Cross is located at the Moore County Sports Complex; the Recreation Center 155 Hillcrest Park Lane in Carthage. For more information you can call 910-947-6317.
Moore County Transportation Services will operate to transport clients scheduled for dialysis, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments only.
All other Moore County Operations are cancelled with a plan to expand operations that will function on Tuesday, December 6.
With traffic lights inoperable, Fire Chief Mike Cameron told ABC News the fire department has received numerous calls for accidents at intersections. Firefighters have also been responding to more than the usual carbon monoxide alarms as people turn to alternative forms of heat. There have also been numerous medical calls, particularly from people with home oxygen or oxygen generators.
Anyone with information about what happened is asked to contact the Moore County Sheriff's Office at 910-947-2931.
