According to San Bernardino County Fire Division Chief John Chamberlin, a trunkline was struck in the Palm Springs area at approximately 10:15 this morning. This is affecting all Verizon landline and cell service, including 911. The San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services is in the process of making arrangements for portable cell towers through Verizon with an unknown ETA. Anticipated repair time could be as much as two days. If you have an emergency, please contact local law enforcement or area fire stations for assistance rather than trying to dial 911. The County Office of Emergency Services is also in the process of deploying “RACES” (amateur radio) personnel in strategic locations for community contact points. Local area businesses continue to operate in limited capacity, including grocery stories and fuel stations. At this time, cash is the preferred method to ensure transactions, as some credit/debit card terminals are down depending on the network. All ATMs are currently down. Time Warner and AT&T appear to be back online.
DAMAGED TRUNKLINE IN PALM SPRINGS RESPONSIBLE FOR WIDESPREAD CELLULAR OUTAGE
