Approximately 14,000 customers lost their power on Christmas.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, several Washington state power substations were vandalized and damaged by unknown individuals, knocking out power for approximately 14,000 customers. There are currently no suspects or motives for these acts of vandalism, nor is it known if the acts were the product of a single, coordinated entity, though they do mirror a previous attack on a power station in North Carolina in November.
“Deputies arrived on scene and saw there was forced entry into the fenced area,” the substation managers reported to the local Sheriff’s department. “Nothing had been taken from the substation, but the suspect vandalized the equipment causing a power outage in the area.”
“At 11:25 we were notified by Puget Sound Energy that they too had a power outage this morning at 02:39 a.m. Deputies are currently on scene at this facility where the fenced area was broken into and the equipment vandalized,” the Sheriff’s department reported.
Three power substation facilities were vandalized on Christmas morning, knocking out power to more than 14,000 customers, authorities said. https://t.co/10D82ZUs7i
— ABC News (@ABC) December 25, 2022
Following the November incident, the Federal Bureau of Investigations issued a warning to power companies that certain radical individuals may be attacking substations in an effort “to create civil disorder and inspire further violence.” However, the FBI neither confirmed nor denied an ongoing federal investigation, telling CNN that “We do take threats against our infrastructure seriously and urge anyone with information to contact law enforcement.”