Over the weekend, someone or some group shot a few substations in Moore County, NC near Fayetteville and Raleigh. About 30,000 are still without power in this area. Why do you think they would do something like this? Who is behind it? Do you think it can happen again? Story here
Designing and repairing electrical substations and power transmission lines is something I have done since the 1980s. So I know a little bit about this subject. In this NC incident, the rumor is that the drag show was the reason. Substations as well as the EVH and UVH powerlines are vulnerable to high-velocity firearms. People have been known to break into a substation and open the transformer coolant valves and drain out of the transformers. This causes them to overheat and shut down. This can also be done by rifle fire as well. Transmission lines can be vulnerable by having the insulators holding the lines up busted. Do this to enough towers and if the line can get close enough to the ground that it will short out. Keep in mind at these voltages they DO NOT need to touch. This damage can take days to fix. As an Engineer, I am more concerned about the towers because a terrorist can take out a line this way and attack another subsystem and cause a cascade that could possibly put 3/4s of the US in the dark. Everything I just said is all over the internet so I have not revealed any secrets the DHS wants to be kept quiet. This NC thing I am 99% sure was not anything but some people trying to stop a show. I say 99% because this BS also knocked out power to Ft Bragg. Home to the US Airborne Corp as well as the US Army Special Forces command. The Army and the DHS can't just assume anything. This could have just been a test to see how easy it would be to cause massive problems for Ft Bragg.
No, I'm not afraid of similar attacks. This is an isolated incident. Initial reports are that it may have been done to stop a drag show (North Carolina is a conservative state, with some extreme people); the show went on anyway.
Random incidents of domestic terrorism like this happen, and we cannot prevent all of them.
Let's not become fear-mongers. Overall, the US electric grid is secure and reliable. Outages will, and do, occur, most of them due to weather, not people shooting up a substation.
Happens to good portions of my town whenever a drunk takes out a pole. More on point.. afraid? No. Annoyed. Now it’s known it can happen, it’ll probably take on like school shootings.
It is a one-time incident. Therefore, it is not likely to happen where I live.
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I remember shortly after 9/11 the power grid on the East Coast was going out quickly. It was thought the terrorist was knocking out the power grid on the East Coast. After much research and study the power grid was over 100 years old. Had not been refurbished. A year or two later the Pacific coast power grid was having some outages. Come to find out somebody was shooting up the main power grid power stations. That was labeled domestic terrorism. The issue in North Carolina it's probably a domestic terrorist because they got their little poor little feelings hurt. And started with some friends sympathizers started destroying the countryside shooting like they did in California. Little do they know they're going to spend some time in prison for the rest of our lives. And if anybody dies in their stupid rampage they will be put to death.
Nah. I’m still here, and tens of thousands of more like me. I kind of hope more attacks do happen so people will be forced to recognize how crucial electricians are to literally every facet of everyday life. Without safe, reliable electricity, you would almost certainly die, and if you didn’t die right away your life expectancy would reduce significantly and everything you take for granted would disappear like a daydream.
if it's freezing and this happens then we're in trouble. the power grid always goes down anyway when it's cold and we're locked inside so we prepare for it, but some people can't prepare
m here in Texas... it could be another freezing winter
It seems like our "doomsday preparations" will be utilized.
Wow... really. Got to check this out !! Militia or Biden border policy?
No I’m in Canada where they’re all pacifist liberal pussies who’d hurt their wrists trying to slap things then blame Trump
Yes, this could happen in Pennsylvania, USA never know
The army base is near Fayetteville. Maybe that's why?
s That is my worst fear. I am one of those preppers. I think it’ll happen again on a larger scale.
It's probably down to the local nutcase.
Simples...
m Nope. I'll just switch on my generator and ride it out. We lose power for days on end up here every winter
I know nothing of this, and no I'm not
Not worried.
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