Iowa phone outages: Emergency services, 911 calls impacted
Iowa phone outages: Emergency services, 911 calls impacted
Widespread Phone Outages in Iowa Affect Emergency Services
Cause of Outage
A water line break at the Lumen Technologies building in Des Moines was identified as the cause of the phone outages.
Impact on Emergency Services
The outage disrupted landline 911 calls and affected phone and internet services across central and eastern Iowa, complicating emergency responses.
Affected Facilities
Hospitals and clinics like MercyOne, The Iowa Clinic, and UnityPoint struggled with receiving inbound calls, impacting patient communication.
Advisory for Residents
Residents were advised to use mobile phones for dialing 911 during the outage, as automated alarm systems also faced connectivity issues.
Extent of Disruption
Multiple counties and cities, including Johnston, Warren, Boone, and Waukee reported similar disruptions, affecting various public services and facilities.
What specific location in Des Moines was identified as the origin of the water line break causing the phone outages?
Can you detail the extent of the phone and internet service disruption caused by the outage in central and eastern Iowa?
The phone and internet service disruption in central and eastern Iowa affected area hospitals, emergency services, and other communities in the region. Landline 911 calls, phone and internet service for some customers were impacted due to a water line break at the Lumen Technologies building in Des Moines. The exact number of people impacted and the timeline for fixing the issue were not provided by Lumen.
Des Moines police reported that administrative phone lines were not functioning properly, and landline calls to 911 were also affected. MercyOne facilities across the state, the Iowa Clinic, and UnityPoint also experienced problems with inbound calls. The Polk County Emergency Management Agency advised people to dial 911 using a mobile phone during the outage and to report automated alarms by dialing 911 from a mobile phone.
Other communities in central Iowa, including Warren County, Boone County, and the city of Waukee, reported issues with phone lines as well. The city of Johnston faced problems affecting city hall, public works, parks, Johnston Public Library, and the public safety building.