A flexible control architecture for an electrical power microgrid provides resiliency when operating under varying threat levels. The architecture includes a microgrid control layer, an intermediate layer and a component control layer. A contingency level is computed based on conditions of the microgrid such as weather and system state. When the contingency level indicates a low degree of threat, the system operates in a centralized, top-down control configuration. When the contingency level indicates a high degree of threat, the system operates in a decentralized control configuration with the microgrid control layer performing only a monitoring function.