Dec. 5, 2022 Attacks on North Carolina substations leave thousands without power

By Elise Hammond, Maureen Chowdhury and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 8:45 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022
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8:45 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

Catch up: Here's what's to know about the weekend attacks that caused power outages in Moore County

From CNN staff

Workers work on equipment at the West End Substation in West End, North Carolina, on Monday, December 5.
Workers work on equipment at the West End Substation in West End, North Carolina, on Monday, December 5. (Karl B DeBlaker/AP)

Thousands of people are still without power Monday after weekend attacks on substations in Moore County, North Carolina, plunged communities into darkness.

The outages are believed to have been caused by “intentional” and “targeted” attacks, officials say. No suspects or motives have been announced. The FBI has joined the investigation.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and several other officials gave an update on the status of repairing equipment Monday, with the governor calling the cause of the outages a "criminal attack." Here's what to know.

Power outages

  • More than 38,000 people are still without power as of Monday night, according to Duke Energy. That's down from about 45,000 customers who were impacted over the weekend.
  • Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson at Duke Energy, said outages could continue until Wednesday or Thursday.
  • He said getting power back on is "not as simple as changing a light bulb," adding that some equipment is being repaired while other pieces are so damaged, they have to be removed and completely replaced.

The investigation

  • The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said utility crews found signs of potential vandalism of equipment at different power sites — including two substations that had been damaged by gunfire. Sheriff Ronnie Fields said multiple rounds were fired at the two substations, adding, “It was targeted, it wasn’t random."
  • The sheriff would not say whether the criminal activity was domestic terrorism but noted “no group has stepped up to acknowledge or accept they’re the ones who (did) it.” No suspects or motive has been announced.
  • The FBI joined an investigation into the power outages on Sunday, and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said that she has been in touch with Duke Energy and that the Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response was working with other federal agencies.
  • The Biden administration is offering federal support to the investigation, the White House said.
  • A Department of Homeland Security Bulletin just days before the attack indicated there was a heightened threat posed by domestic violent extremists against targets that included critical infrastructure.

In the community:

  • Cooper said that the state was "deeply concerned" about the impact the widespread outages will have on small businesses and students, as well as vulnerable populations. The county has opened some shelters and Moore County Schools announced it will be closed again Tuesday.
  • The owner of one pharmacy said he is storing medicines in his home, which is powered by a generator, so that people can continue to get their prescriptions.
  • The loss of electricity has also impacted the water supply to some families in rural parts of Moore County, even those with generators.
  • In the town of Southern Pines, one business owner is using his generator to provide food for free. “Nobody here has power, so we got cold homes and cold people with no hot food to eat," said Gerald Bateman, the owner of Southern Pines Growler.
7:04 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

Authorities determined to find perpetrators who plunged Moore County into darkness, governor says

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch 

Authorities are determined to find the perpetrators of the "atrocious" attack on the power grid that plunged Moore County into darkness, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday.

Investigators are "leaving no stone unturned to find out who did this, and why," he said, while also noting that officials needed to plan ahead. 

“We need to look forward, to look at how we can harden our electrical grid and make sure that our power sources are protected,” he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

When asked if had any indication if it was an act of extremism or domestic terrorism, which authorities have not yet said, Cooper said. “Clearly this an extreme act to intentionally disable this substation."

"We want to find who did it. We want to find the motive, but certainly, we need to be diligent and vigilant knowing that our electric grid can’t be this vulnerable that someone with knowledge of how to disable the electrical system can come in and actually do that in a very short amount of time,” he added.

“I think we’re going to have to reassess our security,” the governor said. 

Cooper said that at this time there is no indication of a motive, but every potential is being explored.

6:09 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

Ft. Bragg says it is monitoring the situation in Moore County after some personnel were affected by outage

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

Ft. Bragg is monitoring the situation in Moore County and allowing flexible report times for personnel who live in the affected area, the base said in a statement on Monday.  

“Those who live in the areas affected, and who work on the installation should work with their units regarding flexible report times. We encourage unit leaders to follow up with service members and civilian personnel who are impacted by the outage to ensure they have a warm and safe place to sleep and ensure access to food and water,” the statement said. 

“Our thoughts are with our neighboring community in Moore County as they endure the current power outages,” it added. 

The base will continue to monitor the situation of those impacted. 

Moore County is located west of Ft. Bragg's training areas.

5:06 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

People in rural parts of Moore County struggling as outage also cuts off water supply

From CNN’s Caroll Alvarado 

The loss of electricity has also impacted the water supply to families in Moore County, North Carolina.

“Rural communities rely on electricity a lot more than people realize,” Andrew Wilkins, whose parents own the farm in Whispering Pines told CNN. “Many big cities don’t lose their water when the power goes out, but a lot of rural areas rely on a well for water. My family draws their water from a well so when the power goes out, the well stops and the water pressure drops and we slowly lose water.“ 

The farm fosters rescued animals, said Wilkins, who is visiting his family for the holiday season. 

“We were lucky we had a small supply of potable water but it really hurt us that we didn’t have time to prepare. The power outage came out of nowhere," he said.

According to Wilkins, the lack of cellphone service is also making it hard for everyone to stay informed. 

“We didn’t know what happened at first. The cellphone service also went down so there was no way to find out what was happening. We just thought a power line went down and the power would be back in a few hours," Wilkins said.

He said his family considers themselves lucky because they have a generator, but they’re concerned about having to find fuel to keep it running as the local gas station appears to be closed.

For now, the once-quiet farm is surrounded by the sounds of generators operating in nearby homes, Wilkins said.

5:28 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

North Carolina governor: We need to learn from this incident and protect our infrastructure

Barriers designed to absorb oil are placed near a damaged transformer in Carthage, North Carolina, on December 4.
Barriers designed to absorb oil are placed near a damaged transformer in Carthage, North Carolina, on December 4. (Jonathan Drake/Reuters)

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper stressed that the state needs to learn from the attacks on the power grid, adding, "we cannot tolerate" a power outage like this.

"I'm always concerned about critical infrastructure, and I think we certainly need to learn from this incident," the governor said.

"These kind of things cannot happen," Cooper continued. "I mean we cannot tolerate this type of widespread power outage to so many people."

He continued, "I had a conversation with the CEO of Duke Energy today, Lynn Good, she understands that as well. We know that there may be some things that need to change to make sure our infrastructure is protected."

Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson for Duke Energy, said the company is also taking in information from the attack and using it to further develop its security responses. He said input on what the company learned from this will be applied to near and long-term planning.

Brooks said physical security is an important part of their efforts, but there are “many layers” that are in place.

4:18 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

Moore County Schools will remain closed on Tuesday

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

Moore County schools will remain closed on Tuesday, the district said in a tweet.

“Due to the continuing widespread power outage in Moore County and on Moore County Schools operations, all schools will be closed to all students and staff on Tuesday, December 6,” the tweet said.

“We will announce the status for schools for Wednesday by 4 p.m. tomorrow,” the tweet added.

The district services 22 schools with more than 12,000 students, according to its website. 

Moore County Superintendent Tim Locklair said over the weekend decisions regarding school openings for the remainder of the week will be made on a day-by-day basis. Duke Energy said power for most customers likely won't be restored until Wednesday or Thursday.

4:05 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

Duke Energy reiterates outages could last until Wednesday or Thursday for most customers

Jeff Brooks, Duke Energy spokesperson, said customers could "gradually" see more outages restored soon, but added "we could still see this extend Wednesday into Thursday, somewhere in that time frame."

"For the majority this outage will continue until we get those repairs completed," Brooks said at a news conference with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and other officials Monday.

Brooks said in some cases, the equipment could be repaired in place, but other parts were so damaged, they must be taken out and replaced.

“Understand though that its not as simple as changing a lightbulb,” he said, adding that “some of this equipment does take a significant amount of work, a significant amount of process that goes through putting it in to place safely, getting it in service."

Duke Energy said about 38,000 customers remain without power. That's down from about 45,000 over the weekend.

4:04 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

Cooper: Helping vulnerable people impacted by the outages is crucial

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks during a press conference in Carthage, North Carolina, on December 5.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks during a press conference in Carthage, North Carolina, on December 5. (WRAL)

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper noted that he is making sure that vulnerable populations in the state impacted by power outages are taken care of.

"Helping the vulnerable people and the places where they live, including adult care homes, is a priority. Making sure that people are warm as the night approaches, making sure people are cared for, making sure that critical services at hospitals and law enforcement at emergency management services are supported and available. All of that is crucial," Cooper said during a news conference.

He also said that the state is also "deeply concerned" about the impact the widespread outages will have on small businesses and students.

"Now while we are determined to keep people safe, we're also deeply concerned about the small businesses that are losing out on valuable retail time right here before the holidays, as well as our school students who are missing valuable class time because of closure of schools," he said.

The governor added that the response from local and state authorities "has been swift and strong" and that "we'll all keep working until the power is restored."

3:56 p.m. ET, December 5, 2022

North Carolina governor says cause of outages was a "criminal attack" on substations

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called widespread outages in Moore County a "criminal attack" on the county's substations.

The governor said at a news conference Monday he has been briefed regularly on the investigation into the attacks as well as the emergency management efforts to resume power for thousands of people in the community. He said he has also met with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Cooper said he visited one of the substations as crews were working to get them back up and running. Energy workers have been "working around the clock" to restore power, but said it is a "very complex" effort.

Duke Energy said in a statement Monday it could take until Thursday for power to be restored to most customers.

The governor said the priority moving forward is to help people, especially those in adult care home and other vulnerable populations.

The state is "making sure that critical services,” including hospitals and law enforcement, are supported and available in the meantime.

“All of that is crucial," Cooper said.

Officials have not yet announced any motive in the case.

"Regardless of motive, violence and sabotage will not be tolerated," Cooper added.