Three Washington Substations Are Targeted, Leaving Thousands Without Power

Thousands of homes in the vicinity of Tacoma, Washington, were without power due to the vandalism of three electrical substations, local officials said on Sunday, adding that it was unclear whether the Christmas Day events were related.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, robberies were reported at three substations belonging to Tacoma Public Utilities and Puget Sound Energy. According to the report, deputies discovered forced access into the fenced-in area, where equipment was damaged but nothing was stolen. There were around 14,000 consumers affected.

"Currently, deputies are conducting a preliminary inquiry. No suspects are currently in custody. Unknown are the reasons or whether this was a coordinated attack on the electrical grid "The department claimed in an online statement.

This month, a utility in North Carolina reported outages as a result of what local officials deemed to be premeditated shootings, which are currently under investigation by federal law enforcement.

NBC News and other local media have reported that the FBI is also probing gunfire fired near a power station in South Carolina and whether these two occurrences are linked.

This week, a catastrophic cold weather system raced over the nation, leaving more than 300,000 without power as a result of the winter storm.

Approximately 2,700 Tacoma Public Utilities customers in east Piece County were without power as of lunchtime on Sunday, approximately 45 miles (72 km) south of Seattle, according to a statement on Twitter by Tacoma Public Utilities.

"We are working as swiftly and safely as possible to restore electricity," the company stated, stressing that its substations "were attacked" early Sunday morning and that police were notified.

Puget Sound Energy representatives could not be reached immediately for comment.