Two electric substations were damaged by gunfire, creating a county-wide blackout in Moore County on Saturday, December 3. Duke Energy’s power outage map reports that nearly half of the county’s residents are left without power as of Saturday. In response, Moore County declared a state of emergency as officials work to resolve the effects of the alleged “criminal occurrence.” 

The county’s population is approximately 100,000 residents. As a result, schools, businesses and other facilities have shut down and the county created a shelter to respond to the ongoing emergency. Many residents are left without heat as temperatures drop in the area.

To prevent any further accidents and damages, the county has initiated a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Since Saturday, Duke Energy employees have been working to restore the electric substation. As of Monday, 30,000 residents are still experiencing power outages. The company noted that it plans on having the power grid fully restored by Thursday, December 8. Officials have also noted that the damage will cost the county millions of dollars to repair. 

Governor Roy Cooper released a statement via Twitter on Sunday stating, “I have spoken with Duke Energy and state law enforcement officials about the power outages in Moore County. They are investigating and working to return electricity to those impacted. The state is providing support as needed.”

The FBI has joined the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation in the investigation of the emergency.