LIVE UPDATES Moore County power grid attacks: Power could be back on by late Wednesday

Lexi Solomon and Taylor Shook, The Fayetteville Observer
·9 min read
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Duke Energy announced Tuesday afternoon that repairs could likely be complete by late Wednesday.

In text messages to customers, the power company said work was ahead of schedule.

"Barring any unforeseen setbacks, we believe we can begin gradually bringing service back on-line beginning Wednesday afternoon, with the majority of outages fully restored before midnight," the message to customers said.

More than 35,000 Moore County residents remained without power Tuesday morning as Duke Energy officials work to repair two damaged substations, according to a county outage map.

As of 9:37 a.m. Tuesday, 34,588 Duke Energy customers and 1,133 Randolph EMC customers were without power, about 55.57% of customers in Moore County, the map said.

Those seeking shelter can go to the Moore County Sports Complex Recreation Center at 155 Hillcrest Park Lane in Carthage, according to a Moore County Department of Public Safety news release. Shower and laundry units will be available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church in Aberdeen and First Baptist Church in West End, while a shower unit will be set up at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Sandhills Baptist Association in Carthage, the release said. Shower units will also be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Moore County Sports Complex Recreation Center.

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Drive-thru meals will be available from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at 503 North Sandhills Blvd. in Aberdeen, the release said. Meals can also be picked up from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Hillcrest Sports Complex in Carthage and the Southern Pines Fire Station in Carthage.

Each of the six Food Lion stores in Moore County will distribute free water to residents beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to a news release. Residents can receive one case of water per family until supplies last, the release said.

5 p.m.: Officials speak at press conference

Moore County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Richard Maness said at a 4 p.m. press conference that the investigation into the attack on the substations was still underway.

"Our investigation continues at a very fast pace," Maness said. "Our tip line has been very active over the last 24 hours."

Officials at the press conference encouraged the public to send any potential information to the tip line 910-947-4444.

State Sen. Tom McInnis, who represents Moore County, said he believes a reward for information is in the works. McInnis said he is working on legislation to increase the penalties for attacks like these.

"I've looked at the rules and regulations of what someone could potentially be charged with when the culprit is finally brought to justice," he said. "I'm reasonably confident there will be new legislation that will be brought forth in the long session."

Bryan Phillips, director of Moore County Public Safety, said officials were working to confirm if a death in the county was the result of a medical condition or tied to the power outage. The resident who died was without power, he said.

4 p.m.: Moore County schools closed Wednesday and Thursday; State official asks insurance companies to grant flexibility

Moore County Schools are closed Wednesday and Thursday, according to a news release. Friday's status will be announced by 4 p.m. Thursday, it said.

Once power is restored, schools require 24 hours of preparation before welcoming students back. Food supplies must be moved to sites with electricity, and the district will avoid operating school buses in unsafe road conditions caused by the outage, it said.

"We continue to work closely with our partners at Duke Energy and appreciate your patience and support as we work through this situation," the release said.

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey asked licensed insurance companies to be flexible with customers affected by the power outages, according to a news release.

“Many folks cannot access their online insurance accounts due to power loss. We are requesting that insurance companies be flexible with customers during this time until power is fully restored," he said in a statement.

Causey asked companies to consider the following measures: relaxing due dates for premiums payments; extending grace periods; waiving late fees and penalties; and using policy cancellation or non-renewal as a last resort when working with policyholders to continue insurance coverage.

2:25 p.m.: Randolph EMC customers in Seven Lakes; other residents will receive partial restoration

Randolph EMC restored power to the Seven Lakes Community just before 5 a.m. and the remainder of customers in the affected area are receiving power in two to three-hour intervals, according to a Tuesday news release. Full power restoration depends on Duke Energy crews, the release said.

"Continuous, uninterrupted power supply will occur only when Duke has fully repaired their transmission lines. Duke currently estimates this restoration to be complete some time on Thursday," the release said.

The company asked customers to conserve energy by lowering thermostats and turning off water heater breakers in an effort to prevent further interruptions to service. CEO of Randolph EMC Dale Lambert said restoring power to Moore County residents is the company's top priority.

"You are in our thoughts and prayers. We have provided you with rotating intervals of power, but we will not rest until you are fully restored," he said in the release.

11:56 a.m.: Milder temperatures expected for Moore County residents today and tomorrow

Moore County residents without power will face milder temperatures than yesterday, according to the National Weather Service.

Conditions Tuesday will be mostly cloudy, with highs near 59 degrees and a 40% chance of rain, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service station in Raleigh. Temperatures will only drop to about 54 degrees tonight, the forecast said.

Wednesday will bring even warmer temperatures, peaking at about 72 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Wednesday's low should be about 56 degrees, with light winds and a 20% chance of rain, the forecast said.

11:29 a.m.: Repair expected to return power to several thousand today

A Duke Energy spokesperson said Tuesday some customers will get their power back by noon after a repair is completed.

"We hope to have several thousand more restored by noon today," the spokesperson said.

The majority of customers will still have to wait until midday Thursday for their power to return, she said.

11:21 a.m.: Moore County hospital functioning normally

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital is operating normally, according to FirstHealth spokesperson Emily Sloan.

"We're not seeing an influx of patients," Sloan said. "We do expect that we could see an increase of patients over the coming days."

The hospital is using a backup generator for power and is prepared to accommodate patients until power is fully restored, Sloan said.

11 a.m.: Press conference to be held at 4 p.m.

A press conference will be held at 4 p.m. in the community room of the Moore County Sheriff's Office, according to a news release. The conference will be livestreamed on the Moore County Department of Public Safety's Facebook page and the Moore County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page, the release said. The conference will feature representatives from the Moore County government, Duke Energy, Randolph EMC and Moore County schools, according to the release.

Moore County remains under a state of emergency with a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, the release said.

The Fayetteville Observer will be sharing a livestream of the conference on our Facebook page and Tweeting live from our Twitter account.

10:35 a.m.: More meal options for Moore County residents

More options are popping up for Moore County residents in search of food Tuesday, according to social media posts.

The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina will be distributing food until noon at the old Aberdeen Elementary School on North Sandhills Boulevard, according to a post on the food bank's Twitter account.

Downtown by RFC Winery in Raeford will be offering one free appetizer, sandwich or soup with proof of residency from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to a post on the winery's Facebook page. Options include fried pickle chips, beer cheese and bread, chips and corn salsa, two hot dogs, a club sandwich, a grilled cheese sandwich, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, six wings with sauce, macaroni and cheese, kids' chicken nuggets, fries, a side salad, chips and a cup or bowl of soup, the post said.

Other locations offering food include:

  • YellowBird Southern Table and Bar, 100 Pavilion Way, Southern Pines. The restaurant is handing out free chicken sandwiches, burgers and chili from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a post on the eatery's Facebook page.

  • Crain's Creek Fire Department, 4525 Lobelia Road, Vass. Hot dogs will be available for lunch until supplies run out, and a hot meal of rice and chicken gumbo or soup will be available from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to the department's Facebook page.

  • Wild Roots Hair Studio, 2160 Midland Road, Suite B, Southern Pines. Free lunches will be provided from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the hair salon's Facebook page.

  • New Covenant Fellowship, 1305 Hulsey Road, Carthage. Hot soup and sandwiches will be provided at noon, according to the center's Facebook page.

  • First Baptist Church of Pinehurst, 7373 NC 211, West End. The church is offering 3,000 meals beginning at noon, according to its Facebook page.

  • Reformation Church, 160 Pinehurst Ave. Suite J, Southern Pines. Free lunches will be provided beginning at 11 a.m., according to the church's Facebook page.

  • Piggly Wiggly, 3373 US-1 Business, Vass. The Pineapple Plug and Everybody Eats Cuisine will be giving out hamburgers, hot dogs and water from 1 to 3 p.m., according to the Pineapple Plug's Facebook page.

  • The Red's Corner Food Truck Park in Southern Pines will have six food trucks Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m., according to the park's Facebook page.

  • The Pine Scone Cafe in Pinehurst has free Wi-Fi and is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the cafe's Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Moore County NC updates: 35,000 still without power Tuesday