MOORE COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — The massive power outage in Moore County isn’t only impacting the Sandhills.
Folks here in the Piedmont Triad are dealing with it, too. A family in Forsyth County has had their life upended by the attack as they work to care for a family member.
Bill Hinson was spending time with his 90-year-old father on Saturday, watching the ACC championship game when the power went out. Officials say it went out around 7 p.m. after unknown suspects shot at two Duke Energy substations.
“We were in Moore County visiting my dad and we were sitting there watching the ACC championship game and the power just went off. We looked out over the neighborhood and there were no lights anywhere,” said Hinson.
With cell signal and internet taken down by the attack, they were completely in the dark about what had happened.
“You know, we didn’t have any news of what happened, of how long it was going to be off,” he said.
Eventually, he was able to get in touch with one of his siblings in Forsyth County.
“Once I found out it was vandalism or terrorism or whatever you want to call it you know I was angry,” he said. “Whatever they did certainly touched a lot of lives.”
Hinson’s anger is shared by those who remain in Moore County this week, where traffic lights are out and businesses remained closed.
Lamarr Jackson, a father searching for fresh water to make baby formula, found locked doors at a gas station.
“Staying warm, electricity, food, transportation… You know, you can’t hardly go anywhere, unless you have plenty of gas and you got somewhere to get that gas,” Jackson said. “Families are being affected in major ways.”
With electricity out, some places are tapping into a different kind of power: the power of community.
“There is a laundry and shower trailer providing a place for folks to come and get a hot shower and get a couple of loads of laundry done,” said Russell Rowland, the Head Pastor of First Baptist Pinehurst. “We’ve got a lot of folks who are inside charging their phones and using our wifi,” he continued. “Just helping folks anyway we can.”
The congregation at First Baptist Church in Pinehurst is coordinating with North Carolina Baptist Men’s Association and the Red Cross to help provide assistance to the people of Moore County.
The estimated timeline for restoration has moved up to late Wednesday. For folks like Bill Hinson, who is working to care for his father, that day can’t come soon enough.
“You know, it’s disrupted all of our lives because we’re trying to find the best care for him,” said Hinson.
The lack of power is creating dangerous issues across the county. The Southern Pines Fire Chief has said that they’re seeing more car crashes because of the lack of traffic lights, and house fires as well.
No suspects have been identified in the attack.
