North Carolina power substations taken out by gunfire 16

[FacEngrPE]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/north-carolina-sheriff-says-intentional-vandalism-substations-caused-power-outages-40k-customers[/URL]]A North Carolina sheriff and power company official said "intentional vandalism" at substations has caused outages for about 40,000 customers expected to last longer than 24 hours

NC county announces curfew as nearly 40,000 customers remain without power after 2 substations damaged by gunfire; Tina Burnside, By Nicole Grether, Gloria Pazmino and Tina Burnside, CNN Updated 6:12 PM EST, Sun December 4, 2022

Current outages link

https://www.readync.gov/stay-informed/power-outages

and

https://outagemaps.duke-energy.com/#/current-outages/ncsc

Moore County Sheriff's Office Dec 4

 

[byrdj]

I initially thought of an attack on the grid since the location is adjacent to Fort Bragg.

Local news will soon be calling it Terrorism as rumors are anti gay right did it in protest of drag show in nearby city.

Did not read Your posting yet. Hearing Major equipment needing replacement taking week to procure

edit , , ,thanks, those links are providing more detail

 

[dik]

Fossil fuel operated? If they aren't blocking roadways, and slashing SUV tires, have people found another outlet?

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[TugboatEng]

This happened out here some time back.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...on-calif-power-station-raises-terrorism-fears

All it takes is one hooligan, a case of beer, and a rifle to start popping off transformers. The media tried to play it off as a terrorist event.

A sniper rifle? Come on. I think there needs to be mandatory range time for anybody that wants to work in the media.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Local news will soon be calling it Terrorism as rumors are anti gay right did it in protest of drag show in nearby city.

What would you do if one of the people leading the protest against the drag show posted on social media that the power station had failed and they knew why? Of course the police questioned this individual. BTW, her reason "why" was that it was God punishing the people of Moore County for allowing the drag show, as if the 'people' had any right to stop it.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/power-outage-in-moore-county-north-carolina-caused-by-vandalism

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[Just Some Nerd]

NYT article has some added quotes to speculate about:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/us/power-outages-north-carolina.html

As utility crews began responding to the affected substations, “evidence was discovered that indicated that intentional vandalism had occurred at multiple sites,” the sheriff’s office said in an earlier statement. Deputies were then deployed to various locations to provide security.

Targeted attacks at multiple locations seems not too far off terrorism (one can argue whether it counts as an attack on civilians of course) irrespective of motive...can't imagine a drunk person going to multiple locations




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Why yes, I do in fact have no idea what I'm talking about

 

[TugboatEng]

Well, meth is the other side of the equation. If you shoot one and it makes a bunch of sparks and a big bang maybe they'll keep looking for more entertainment. If you followed the 2014 San Jose case it quietly fell off the radar once it became clear that sniper rifles and terrorism weren't involved.

 

[dik]

...more fun than shooting STOP signs, I guess. I never shot either of them. Use to be that out in the ocuntry nearly all stop signs had a few bullet holes in them.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[davidbeach]

How about we chill with the wild-arsed speculation? This is serious stuff. North Caroline isn't the beginning... This isn't what happened in the San Jose area 8 years ago; that was an inside job but the recent shite isn't.

I’ll see your silver lining and raise you two black clouds. - Protection Operations

 

[byrdj]

after their incident, didn't PGE enclose the transformers. (I thought a lot of them were already "out of sight" anyway)

Local "Professors" doing "comentary" for NEWS are calling for block enclosures. and hardening the sorrounding buffer zone with better fencing.

as for impact on the public, this is worst than recovering from a Huricane. where reestablish lines and through switching redirect to get power back to areas. This is a singularity that crippled with lead times for replacement

 

[TugboatEng]

Davebeach, you asked us to chill with the wild speculation and then proceeded to do it. Can you please explain?

 

[Allings Clark]

Video from a local news report may confirm transformer radiators were shot at-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPmAo05L_RE

 

[dik]

Nice group...

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[davidbeach]

Where did I speculate?

I’ll see your silver lining and raise you two black clouds. - Protection Operations

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

The method may be linked to Ukraine.

During the ongoing Irish troubles, the Royal Engineers always had a worry about the PIRA dumping a ton of diesel into the water works and taking out transformers in the Catholic areas.

The Arms branches always dismissed this idea for various reasons. Years later I was told it was because when they looked at it, they just couldn't protect the spread-out infrastructure.

 

[byrdj]

I'll add to the wild-arsed speculations;

the Sheriff commented the vandel "knew what he was doing". that could mean that it was not a missed shoot at a deer, but intentionally aimed at transformer.

Now that the utility can not reroute service to that area through a different feeder, Did the attacker know the grid and those TWO substations would indeed isolate the area?

the "State of Emergency" for the area IS much worse than one might think.

If only the radiators (or oil circulation) they might be able to repair, where as ex Fed speculation is bullet struck windings (unrepairable, or very extensive)

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

From the outside your suggestion is not so wilf arsed.

Inside job and knew where to aim.

 

[Allings Clark]

One of the substations mentioned is called "West End 230kV Substation 6910 NC Hwy 211".


Which can be found here on Google maps:

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.21967,-79.5303,515m/data=!3m1!1e3

Viewing Google earth it appears this station has three 230kV incoming lines, two 230/115kV auto-transformers and three outgoing 115kV lines- one which radially feeds a distribution substation near the intersection of 211 and 1210; with the other two forming a loop around Moore County supplying 6 distribution substations. No external interconnection appears within this 115kV loop.

Assuming vandals damaged both 230/115kV auto-transformers at West End substations the entire 115kV system within Moore County became de-energized. Further it appears vandals also damaged 115kV/24.9kv(???) transformers within distribution substations.

Whom ever did this had intimate knowledge (of the system) whilst making a lasting statement.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

thats a chunkie amount of solar next to it.

 

[dik]

A real problem... complicated and sophistocated infrastructure is increasing vulnerable to attacks like this.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik