‘Intentional vandalism’ causes major power outage in North Carolina county, police say - WGAU

MOORE COUNTY, N.C. — Vandalism whitethorn person been the origin of a large powerfulness outage successful a North Carolina region connected Saturday night, authorities said.

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Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson for Duke Energy, said the powerfulness successful Moore County unopen down astatine astir 8 p.m. EST, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.

More than 39,000 customers were affected, and Brooks said crews recovered “multiple instrumentality failures” astatine respective substations that appeared to beryllium intentional, according to the newspaper.

The outage “is being investigated arsenic a transgression occurrence,” the Moore County Sheriff’s Office said successful a Facebook post.

A Duke Energy outage representation Saturday nighttime showed 37,998 customers without powerfulness successful Moore County, WRAL-TV reported. The Randolph Electric Membership Corporation besides reported astir 3,000 customers without powerfulness successful the confederate portion of the county, according to the tv station

As of Sunday astatine 8 a.m. EST, 38,890 radical were inactive without power, according to the outage map.

Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted that the authorities is providing enactment wherever it is needed, WSOC-TV reported.

The outage deed Moore Regional Hospital, which switched to generator power, The News & Observer reported.

“The Moore field is safely operating connected backup generator powerfulness and we person not experienced immoderate issues oregon concerns,” spokesperson Gretchen Kelly said.

Power is not expected to beryllium “fully restored” until astir 10 p.m., Kelly told the newspaper.

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