Moore, North Carolina – Moore County Schools were closed on Monday after Saturday’s vandalism of two Duke Energy substations, leaving about 45,000 residents without power amid temperatures that dropped below freezing.
The sabotage happened Saturday night when someone intentionally opened fire on the power stations, causing millions of dollars of damage, reports ABC11. Officials say the power could be out in the area for several days, reports WCCB.
Moore County Schools have yet to determine if classes will remain cancelled on Tuesday. Those decisions will be made on a day-by-day basis, reports the News Observer.
The outage also affected Moore Regional Hospital, which had to switch to a backup generator. A spokesperson for the hospital said the facility hasn’t experienced any issues or concerns and has enough fuel to operate the generator for several days.
The power outage is being investigated as a criminal act. The FBI and SBI are investigating.
Authorities are also investigating the motive for the attack. Some social media posts suggested it was in response to a drag show that took place in the area, and authorities are investigating to determine if there is a link, reports ABC11.
Until power can be restored, a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew has been imposed for the affected areas.
