North Carolina declares state of emergency due to power outages and freezing temperatures

• Residents are suffering in freezing temperatures.
• The ongoing power outage is still affecting many North Carolina residents.
• Evidence of sabotage was found in two electrical substations.

Winter weather has arrived in the United States, with temperatures below freezing in many places. In the midst of all this, a massive blackout engulfed an entire county in North Carolina, leaving residents unprotected from the cold.

Authorities have found that the massive power outage is due to deliberate sabotage and have begun investigations. The Moore County Sheriff’s Office has called the incident a «criminal act».

A state of emergency

Moore County, North Carolina, has declared a state of emergency as power outages have continued. The Sheriff’s Office has said this is due to a «deliberate» attack last weekend in which gunfire damaged two substations.

This alleged attack left some 45,000 people without electricity. All this in the midst of freezing temperatures that have been recorded in recent days in this part of the country. FILED UNDER: North Carolina Power Outage

Substations were sabotaged

Criminals with firearms are suspected of causing a massive power outage in a North Carolina county that has left thousands of residents in the dark as cold temperatures grip the region.

For this reason, the state has declared an emergency and a curfew is in effect from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am each night. County residents are encouraged to use as little fuel as possible.

The government is helping

The blackout has also affected water pumps in the area, schools have also been closed. The traffic lights are not working, which is why residents are recommended to stay home.

There is good news for the residents, because emergency shelters have been opened to anyone who needs them. So far no incidents have been reported due to power outages, no injuries or car accidents. Filed FROM: North Carolina Power Outage

What happened?

“As utility companies began responding to the different substations, evidence was discovered indicating that this had occurred intentional vandalism at various locations,» the Moore County Sheriff’s Office published in a statement.

The blackout in Moore County has turned into a criminal investigation. Repair crews have confirmed «multiple equipment failures affecting substations» Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks told Duke Energy, according to CNN.