Mississippi and Louisiana faced widespread disruptions to their 911 emergency calling systems on Thursday, affecting major cities including New Orleans and Jackson. Officials reported that the outages were caused by severed fiber optic cables, with New Orleans authorities citing the damage as a primary factor in the “regional impact.”
The incidents impacted multiple parishes in Louisiana, such as Jefferson and Tangipahoa, as well as cities like Baton Rouge and Shreveport. In Mississippi, Forrest and Kemper counties were among those affected. Residents in Forrest County encountered delays, with calls being redirected to the National 911 Call Center before being transferred to non-emergency lines, which occasionally crashed.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves stated that state officials were collaborating with AT&T following reports of “series of fiber cuts” disrupting the network. Local authorities urged residents to use alternative contact methods while services were restored. Similar outages were reported in Fulton County, Illinois, where officials advised calling non-emergency numbers.
No evidence of intentional interference was indicated in the incidents.
