Major 911 outage hits Mississippi and other Southern states
Apparent fiber cuts disrupt emergency lines across three states; services were gradually restored by late afternoon
A major 911 outage disrupted emergency calling across Mississippi and parts of Louisiana and other southern states on Thursday, with officials attributing the problem to an apparent fiber line cut. The outage began around 1 p.m. and left residents unable to reach emergency services, prompting officials to urge callers to use local law enforcement dispatch centers if 911 was unavailable.
Mississippi officials said AT&T was assessing the damage after reports of fiber cuts affecting networks across three states. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said crews were working to determine the scope and to restore service as quickly as possible. Gov. Tate Reeves said the outage affected three southern states and urged people to contact local law enforcement if 911 was unavailable. In New Orleans, WVUE reported that the outage disrupted 911 service in multiple Louisiana parishes. The Mississippi EMA also said AT&T crews were responding to the damage and would provide updates as the company assessed the situation. AT&T acknowledged service issues for some customers in areas of both states and said more information would be released as it became available. The outage’s spread to Louisiana was confirmed by local responders and media reporting from the region.
By mid-afternoon, officials reported progress on restoring core lines. The Emergency Communications Center for the City of New Orleans announced that 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 services were back up and functioning around 4 p.m., after previously going offline in several parishes. New Orleans Fire and Police communications centers were coordinating with state authorities to monitor restoration efforts and ensure public safety in the affected area.
Late Thursday evening, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said that all 911 systems had been restored in Mississippi, with updates indicating that AT&T crews continued to work on the broader regional network. The Mississippi EMA reiterated that the company was addressing a series of fiber cuts and would provide further information as it became available. Officials urged residents in affected areas to report emergencies through local law enforcement agencies if 911 remained unavailable and to stay tuned for official briefings as the investigation into the cause of the outages continued.
The outage represented the latest disruption to critical communications infrastructure in the region and prompted federal and state emergency management entities to review how to mitigate future service interruptions. Authorities stressed that while 911 was restored, residents should prepare for potential short-term outages and rely on alternate contact channels until full network stability is confirmed.