How Army commands are responding to ‘targeted’ N.C. power outage – By Hannah Schoenbaum (The Associated Press) and Davis Winkie (Army Times) / Dec 5, 2022
CARTHAGE, N.C. (AP) — Tens of thousands of people braced for days without electricity in a North Carolina county, which includes an area where residents assigned to one of the Army’s largest and busiest bases live. Authorities say two power substations were shot up by one or more people with apparent criminal intent.
On Monday, across Moore County, southwest of Raleigh, businesses handed out free food or coffee and businesses without internet conducted transactions in cash. One local economic official described the area known for its golf courses and local pottery as “eerily quiet” at a time of year when businesses are normally full of tourists and holiday shoppers. County schools were closed.
“An attack like this on critical infrastructure is a serious, intentional crime and I expect state and federal authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring those responsible to justice,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper wrote on Twitter.
Traffic lights were out throughout the county. Drivers treated intersections as four-way stops, which caused some traffic congestion in communities such as downtown Carthage. A steady hum of honks could be heard as people signaled to each other when they should go at each nonfunctional traffic light. Many local businesses and restaurants displayed “Closed” signs in the windows and had empty parking lots.