Duke Energy said Wednesday that it has completed repairs on substation equipment in Moore County, North Carolina, as the FBI renewed calls to the public for help identifying "unknown" suspect or suspect behind sabotage gunfire at two substations that caused major power outages extending several days.
In a statement to customers on its website, the energy company said that all the equipment damaged in an attack on two substations Saturday has been fixed or replaced. The company said that Moore County customers will gradually get power back throughout the day as it finishes testing and completes restoration safely.
"To avoid overwhelming the electrical system we will bring power back on gradually, with the goal of having the majority of customers restored before midnight tonight," the statement said.
As of late Wednesday morning, fewer than 20,000 customers were without power in the county, according to poweroutage.us. That's down from a peak of more than 45,000 customers without power over the weekend.
The substations damaged by gunfire Saturday night were about 10 miles apart.
Moore County Chairman Nick Picerno described the site of the attack that brought down the main grid for Southern Pines, Amherst and Aberdeen as enormous, about three-quarters of the size of a football field.
That means, he speculated in an appearance on NewsNation, whoever was responsible "knew right where to shoot to create a slow leak into the transformers, which drained the oil so that they had time to get out and get away before anyone would notice as far as the power grid going down in Duke’s control centers."
The FBI also released a new flyer Wednesday seeking information on the "unknown" suspect or suspects accused of shooting up two substations in Moore County, North Carolina, where at least one resident died at home during extended power outages that have continued to impact tens of thousands of people for the past several days.
He also speculated the shooting at the second substation could have been a "diversion."
Moore County officials revealed Tuesday that one resident died at a house in an area that did not have power, but it was not immediately clear if the outage directly impacted the death or if the person passed away from an unrelated pre-existing medical condition.
Though Homeland Security and the National Security Council are monitoring the outages in Moore County, which at their peak cut electricity for some 45,000 customers, authorities have not confirmed a motive. They also have admitted domestic terrorism has not been ruled out.
FBI Charlotte tweeted a flyer Wednesday "seeking information on the shooting of electrical substations."
On Saturday evening, "unknown suspect(s) fired multiple shots at two Duke Energy Substations in Moore County, North Carolina. The substations are located approximately 10 miles a part in West End and Carthage, North Carolina," FBI Charlotte wrote. "The damage led to a massive power outage of approximately 45,000 customers. The repair process will take days, therefore a state of emergency was declared in Moore County to provide resources to citizens who remain without power."
"Anyone with information regarding this case should contact the Moore County Sheriff’s Office tipline at (910) 947-4444," the flyer added. "You may also contact your local FBI office, field the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov."
A countywide state of emergency was in effect for a fourth day Wednesday. A 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew has remained in place. Moore County schools will remain closed for Wednesday and Thursday.
As of Tuesday, the county 911 call center dispatched law enforcement for 655 calls related to the power outage.
The fire department responded to about 115 calls, while EMS responded to about 100 calls, county officials said. The calls included reports of suspicious circumstances, burglaries, carbon monoxide alarms or requests for business checks, welfare checks and other citizen assistance. As traffic lights are out at intersections, several automobile accidents have been reported but none have resulted in fatalities.
Duke Energy expects customers to be fully restored before midnight Wednesday.
The county’s transportation services are operating only for clients who have scheduled dialysis, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, according to the Moore County website.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
