Verizon response: Hurricane Ida

September 6 Afternoon Update:

Network update

Verizon and our vendor partners were able to restore fiber to the Hammond area and deploy portable assets to the Raceland area, so at this time, there are no longer any significant gaps in service anywhere throughout the storm-impacted areas in Louisiana. While we take a moment to celebrate this milestone, we are far from mission complete.

With commercial power restoration still potentially several weeks out, we will continue to maintain massive refueling and maintenance operations to ensure our permanent and temporary generators remain fully operational.

While cell towers are processing traffic, there is still minor repair work to displaced antennas and damaged equipment. Our engineers have dispatched teams throughout the market to make those repairs and customers will continue to see an improvement in speed and throughput as those repairs are made.

We have dozens of temporary assets deployed throughout the storm-impacted areas. Some are providing temporary connections to cell sites while we work towards permanent fiber repair, while others are serving EOCs, first responders and shelters. Those assets will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

There is a long road ahead for the storm-weary residents of Louisiana and Verizon will remain here with you, keeping you connected to friends, family and the resources you need as you rebuild.

September 6 Mid-day Update:

Network update

While the vast majority of Verizon’s network is up and serving customers throughout Louisiana, we are beginning to see some overnight impacts from power restoration and debris clearing efforts. As teams replace poles and clear debris such as trees, downed lines, and rubble from buildings, fiber lines can accidentally be cut, severing service to a cell tower. Our EOC is monitoring for these impacts and we retain Verizon fiber crews and vendor partners in the market to respond immediately as those issues arise.

With crews working around the clock, Verizon service has been largely restored to the coastal markets, including the hardest hit Grand Isle community. Satellite connections and generators are keeping those sites on air. Meanwhile, several portable assets are still deployed to the coastal markets to support FEMA, the EOC and first responders.

Areas of challenge remain in Raceland and Hammond.

In Hammond, severe debris has caused multiple fiber cuts. Fiber crews have been working for days and while they have repaired numerous fiber breaks, several still remain. The crews will continue their fiber repair work throughout the day today, but in the meantime, Verizon engineers are deploying satellite assets to provide temporary connection until that fiber work is completed.

In Raceland, extensive fiber damage is also slowing recovery, but temporary satellite assets are being deployed to those markets today as well.

Entergy estimates full power restoral could take another 2-4 weeks, so Verizon’s teams continue massive refueling and maintenance operations for permanent and portable generators. For sites that are still inaccessible because of residual flooding, teams are using airboats and recreational vehicles to ensure generators are refueled, keeping first responders and customer connected to critical resources, friend and family.

Over 700 site surveys and assessments have been completed, and tower crews are actively climbing towers to replace or repair antennas, coax cable and other equipment that may have been damaged by the record winds of Ida. As equipment is repaired, both coverage of the cell site and the capacity of traffic those sites can handle will continue to improve.

Relief crews have arrived in Louisiana and Verizon team members are rotating shifts to ensure the safety and well-being of our teams while maintaining our rigorous recovery schedule. We remain committed to providing continued critical communication services to this storm-weary community.

September 5 Afternoon Update:

Community Support

To assist Louisiana residents with their communications needs, we’ve deployed three wireless emergency communication centers (WECCs) where residents can take advantage of free cell phone charging and wifi access from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The Verizon WECCs are located at:

Hammond

Seekers Point Church 

14145 W University Avenue 

LaPlace

Walmart SuperCenter

1616 W Airline Hwy

Metairie

8912 Veterans Memorial Pkwy

September 5 Morning Update:

Network Update

Restoration and repair work continued overnight with Verizon teams bringing additional sites back into service. The significant areas of focus remain the coastal areas and just outside of Hammond. Fiber restoration crews are actively working to repair the fiber ring that serves the sites in and around Hammond, and we anticipate restoral of service soon in that area. In the coastal areas, we have deployed temporary mobile equipment and will be sending additional portable satellite links there today to provide service. The storm caused significant structural damage to a dozen cell towers, many in the coastal markets, which will need reconstruction work to restore service to those permanent sites. While we are already in the process of getting that work started, we expect those sites to take an extended period of time to rebuild and turn back up. We will, however, continue to move in satellite link assets to those locations and provide service through those temporary designs until the original infrastructure can be returned to service.

Verizon teams have deployed 65 portable generators to supplement the numerous permanent generators built into the design of our network. Refueling efforts will continue throughout the day today to keep our facilities running until permanent power is restored. Maintenance on generators which have been running since the beginning of the storm will continue throughout the day as well.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

September 4 Afternoon Update:

Network Update

Restoration efforts are moving at a brisk pace this afternoon, with the engineering team recovering several more sites throughout Louisiana. Specifically, Orleans Parish, Jefferson Parish and St. Helena Parish now have ubiquitous coverage. Fiber instability issues in Hammond are resulting in some service fluctuations in that area. Teams also continue their focus on restoration work and deploying temporary network infrastructure in Lockport, Raceland, Plaquemine and Port Sulphur. Significant structural damage in many of those areas are causing longer timelines for restoral. Temporary network assets are in place or are in the process of being moved to those locations.

Verizon engineers are working with FEMA to provide connectivity for a mobile housing unit moving into the area. Additionally, to support FEMA efforts, the Verizon tethered drone flew near Golden Meadows to provide LTE coverage from the sky.

Refueling efforts and site surveys to determine damage and recovery plans are ongoing. Safety remains our top priority for all Verizon team members working on recovery efforts, so as emergency team members who have been working since before the storm made landfall rotate out of the market, new team members rotate in to continue the hard work. In lieu of physical command centers our virtual command center in Louisiana remains activated (in accordance with recommended social distancing policies) and our employees are using additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they engage in recovery efforts.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

September 4 Morning Update:

Network Update

Louisiana

Verizon network teams made tremendous progress overnight bringing cell sites back online and restoring service in storm-impacted areas. As fiber lines are repaired allowing data to travel back to the core of the network, we are able to redeploy the temporary satellite assets to other locations still in need of temporary fiber relief. To date, we have removed and redeployed almost a dozen satellite assets. Also, overnight, we were able to secure an additional satellite link which will allow for increased data traffic to be managed by the portable satellite assets we have on the ground.

We have completed over 600 site surveys to determine the extent of damage and repair needs to network facilities, and are actively working restoration plans for those sites. Additional antennas, radios and other equipment are being shipped in to make repairs to damaged towers and bring service back to pre-storm levels.

The engineering team continues to focus on the most impacted areas of our network.

• In Hammond, the core of the community has been restored, with restoration work still being required in the outer lying areas. Crews are working with fiber providers to make permanent repairs and are moving in satellite assets in that area.
• We are still seeing some service impact north of Houma. A portable tower is en route to supplement coverage there today.
• Metairi has almost fully restored and we will work to optimize service in that area to manage the volume of data traffic there.
• The coastal areas remain the hardest hit areas. Verizon engineers have been able to restore service to some sites south towards Grand Isles and in Plaquemine towards Venice, but complete devastation of those areas has slowed restoration. Today, we will be deploying a drone that will provide cell service from the sky to help search-and-rescue teams in those areas, and we will continue to move satellite assets and portable generators to that area as accessibility allows.

With countless permanent generators and almost 70 portable generators providing power to our facilities, massive refueling operations continue today. Teams will also begin the work of generator maintenance for those generators that have been running since the beginning of this recovery effort.

Northeast:

The command center in Scarsdale that was damaged by massive flooding is now fully restored and back online. Wireline customers with fiber services have full services restored. Our teams will be reaching out to customers on older copper technology in the coming days to restore their services either through an upgrade to fiber technology or with an alternative voice connection. All wireless cell service in the area is fully restored. This will be the final update on network recovery and performance for the northeast area.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

September 3 Afternoon Update:

Community Support

To assist Louisiana residents with their communications needs, we’ve deployed two wireless emergency communication centers (WECCs) where residents can take advantage of free cell phone charging and wifi access from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The Verizon WECCs are located at:

Hammond

Seekers Point Church

14145 W University Avenue

LaPlace

Walmart SuperCenter

1616 W Airline Hwy

We’ve also set up cell phone charging stations at six community centers in the area:

New Orleans

Rosenwald Recreation Center- 1120 S Broad St

Joe Brown Recreation Center- 5601 Read Blvd

Treme Recreation Center- 900 N Villere

Cut Off Recreation Center- 6600 Belgrade St

Baton Rouge

Dr. Leo S Butler Community Center- 950 E Washington St

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center- 4000 Gus Young Ave

These are open to any residents in the area regardless of who their wireless provider is.

Network Update

Louisiana

Field teams made tremendous progress today in the areas of Hammond and South of Lake Pontchartrain in the Metairie area. As a result of sites coming back in service, Verizon engineers will be redeploying temporary assets originally supporting those areas to the Houma and Coastline areas, where fiber cuts, power outages and massive wind damage caused significant destruction of fiber and network equipment.

Even as sites are being restored, our teams have completed 574 site surveys, uncovering repair needs and moving towards full restoration of service. These teams are completing tower climbs to repair and replace antennas and coax cables damaged by wind.

Refueling efforts continue throughout the area boats, fuel trucks and other forms of refueling vehicles as we await restoration of commercial power.

Northeast

In Scarsdale, NY, the central office that flooded causing copper, fiber and wireless service interruptions from White Plains down to Mount Vernon, has been largely restored. Wireline customers throughout this area should now be able to use the internet and watch TV again. The engineers are installing the final systems which will restore voice services to the majority of customers. Eligible customers on older copper technology whose service will not be restored through these efforts will be upgraded to fiber, and others will be offered alternative voice connections in the coming days.

Cell service has been restored in the Scarsdale area. Teams will continue to optimize performance by adjusting antenna and other equipment that may have been displaced by wind. Refueling efforts will continue until all commercial power is back on.

Verizon Response Team

Our Verizon Response Team remains deployed across the impacted areas and working 24/7 to coordinate with first responders. The team is in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams and is coordinating communication needs and efforts with these agencies. The Verizon Response Team has now deployed 1,070 Verizon Frontline solutions to support 50 public sector organizations in the region.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

September 3 Morning Update:

Community Support

Following the historic impacts of the remnants of Hurricane Ida, Verizon is offering unlimited calling, texting and data to its consumer and small business* customers in the following zip codes September 3 through September 7 in the Northeast:

Maryland: Annapolis (21401), Edgewater (21037, 21140)

New Jersey: Mullica Hill (08062)

New York: Scarsdale (10583)

Pennsylvania: Upper Dublin (19001, 19002, 19025, 19034, 19038, 19075, 19090), Bridgewater (15009)

*Small business customers with 50 lines or less

Customers do not need to do anything to qualify as long as their billing zip code is within the covered area. Included zip codes can be found at this link.

Network Update

Louisiana

Overnight, Verizon engineers were able to repair some fiber connections to cell sites and, where unable to immediately repair the fiber, deployed numerous satellite links which will temporarily carry data traffic back to the core of the network, restoring service to cell towers. Many additional portable generators are being moved into Louisiana from nearby markets and are being deployed in critical need areas as they arrive. Refueling efforts continue in earnest and our refueling teams remain confident in our ability to keep equipment running until commercial power is restored. Tower climbers continue their efforts today to repair or replace broken or displaced antennas at the tops of towers.

With fires in the West, floods in the Northeast, and the need for additional coverage at COVID testing and vaccine centers as well as Afghan refugee intake areas, Verizon continues to deploy mobile cell site and satellite assets where they are needed most. Over half of those assets nationally are being deployed in Louisiana to support first responders, fire and rescue, hospitals, shelters and in areas where residents are trying to rebuild after the worst storm to hit this area in decades. Today, additional mobile assets will be deployed in the coastal areas of Louisiana where search and rescue operations continue.

Northeast

With cleanup ongoing throughout the Northeast, Verizon continues to provide reliable coverage for residents to connect with critical resources and first responders to conduct recovery operations. In Scarsdale, NY, where we had a central office completely flooded causing copper, fiber and wireless service interruptions from White Plains down to Mount Vernon, engineers worked through the night and services are being restored. Wireline customers throughout this area should now be able to use the internet and watch TV again, and voice services continue to be restored. Eligible copper customers will be upgraded to fiber, and others will be offered alternative voice connections in the coming days. Cell service has been restored to the majority of cell sites in the Scarsdale area with the rest anticipated to come back online today. Teams will continue working to clean up and repair remaining network facilities that were impacted, and refueling efforts will continue until all commercial power is back on.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

September 2 Afternoon Update:

What you need to know:

• Verizon extends and expands relief offer in LA and MS (through Sept. 10)

• Network recovery efforts continue throughout the Northeast and Louisiana, highlighted by the deployment of temporary assets, massive site inspections, and widespread refueling efforts.

• Retail hours may be affected in areas impacted by Ida

Community Support

With commercial power still out in many parts of Southeastern Louisiana, Verizon is extending and expanding its relief offer and providing unlimited calling, texting and data to its consumer and small business* customers in the following parishes through September 10:

Louisiana Parishes: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint James, Saint Tammany, St Helena, St John the Baptist, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana

Mississippi Counties: Pearl River, Pike

*Small business customers with 50 lines or less

Customers do not need to do anything to qualify as long as their billing zip code is within the covered area. Included zip codes can be found via this link.

Network

Louisiana

Recovery efforts continue in Louisiana with the field team completing more than 400 site surveys to determine impact and recovery plans at network facilities. Refueling of permanent and portable generators continues with teams coordinating access to restricted roads through local emergency management teams. With commercial power outages stretching into the coming days and weeks, Verizon has mobilized additional portable generators from surrounding markets.

Fiber teams continue to work on repairs to fiber lines. Until those repairs are complete, Verizon engineers continue to deploy satellite links to use as an interim solution to restore service to cell sites.

We continue to deploy mobile satellite-linked cell sites in support of first responders and are providing service to numerous police departments, fire departments and Emergency Operation Centers. Additional assets are being deployed throughout the evening to supplement coverage in Golden Meadow, Lockport, Larousse, and the southern coastline of Lake Pontchartrain.

Northeast

The devastating rainfall in the northeast left a central office in Scarsdale, NY flooded causing copper, fiber and wireless service interruptions from White Plains down to Mount Vernon. Teams have been working throughout the day to pump water out, mitigate water damage, remove debris, clean equipment, remove and replace unrecoverable equipment and restore service. Those efforts continue, and we expect to see service begin to restore for fiber and wireless customers overnight. Quick restoration is one of the benefits of using fiber optics or wireless connections to deliver service to homes and businesses. Repairs for some customers, primarily those connecting to the network with legacy copper technology, will require more time.

Throughout the rest of the Northeast, Verizon engineers continue refueling efforts to keep generators running in the midst of commercial power losses, and are conducting extensive site inspections at network facilities. The Verizon network is designed for reliability, and many redundant systems, such as secondary fiber links, back-up power, and backup cooling systems are running as designed to keep the network in service for the community and first responders. Engineers are working tirelessly to restore both primary and secondary systems to provide continued reliable service for those recovering from this storm.

Verizon Response Team

Our Verizon Response Team remains deployed across the impacted areas and is working 24/7 to coordinate with first responders.

• 45 public safety agencies supported

• 1,009 Verizon Frontline solutions loaned

Retail Operations

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

September 2 Morning Update:

As Ida continued her trek across the US, tornadoes and flooding impacted the Northeast yesterday evening and overnight, as record rainfall was reported in New Jersey and New York City. Meanwhile, recovery efforts continue in Louisiana where there is still widespread power outages, massive flooding and widespread debris.

Louisiana:

Overall the Verizon network remains strong in Louisiana, however recovery efforts, changes in commercial power and flood waters continue to create a dynamic environment for our field teams. Most customers in areas that have cell sites out-of-service are receiving service from nearby sites. However there are still a few areas with service gaps including St. James Parish, the coastal communities, Hammond, and the southern coastline of Lake Pontchartrain. Our teams are focusing efforts on site restoral and moving mobile assets into these areas as quickly as they are able to access them.

Overnight, teams completed an additional 150 site surveys uncovering additional damage or displacement to antennas. As tower crews climb to repair those, both coverage and capacity on those towers will be improved.

To date, Verizon engineers have mobilized and activated 19 mobile cell sites and satellite trailers to assist first responders and provide coverage to residents in the impacted area.

Over 32 portable generators have been moved into the area and refueling efforts to keep both the portable and permanent generators running until commercial power is restored continue. Verizon teams are confident we have the fuel and processes in place to keep those generators running.

Our Verizon Response Team remains deployed across the impacted areas and working 24/7 to coordinate with first responders. The team is in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams and is coordinating communication needs and efforts with these agencies. The Verizon Response Team has now deployed more than 900 Verizon Frontline solutions to support more than 38 public sector organizations including hospitals, emergency operations centers, multiple public safety agencies, and federal, state and local government offices.

The Verizon Response Team is expected to remain on scene as long as needed to assist public safety agencies as they continue to conduct search and rescue operations and deal with widespread power outages, flooding and catastrophic storm damage.

Northeast:

In the northeast, a central office in Scarsdale, NY was flooded causing copper, fiber and wireless service interruptions from White Plains down to Mount Vernon. Engineers are currently pumping water out and moving mobile equipment to that central office to restore service. While there are scattered impacts in other areas of the Northeast, overlapping coverage (coverage from nearby network facilities) is providing service to most customers. Teams will begin site surveys and damage assessment this morning of poles, towers and other network facilities.

Backup generators are running, keeping network facilities online in the areas with commercial power outages. Refueling operations will begin as needed to keep those facilities online until commercial power is restored.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

September 1 Afternoon Update:

Community Support

With commercial power still out, we’ve set up a wireless emergency communication center (WECC) where residents can take advantage of free cell phone charging from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The Verizon WECC is located at:

Seekers Point Church
14145 W University Avenue
Hammond, LA 70401

We’ve also provided cell phone charging stations to four community centers in the area where people can charge their devices:

New Orleans

Rosenwald Recreation Center- 1120 S Broad St

Joe Brown Recreation Center- 5601 Read Blvd

Baton Rouge

Dr. Leo S Butler Community Center- 950 E Washington St

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center- 4000 Gus Young Ave

Network Update

Working throughout the day, Verizon engineers have been able to recover service to numerous sites throughout Louisiana. Currently 90% of Verizon cell sites that were in the path of the storm are in service. About half of our out-of-service sites have overlapping coverage from nearby sites, meaning most customers are able to get a signal.

Verizon engineers continue mobilizing portable assets to provide power until commercial power is restored, as a temporary alternative to fiber until fiber is repaired, and to provide supplemental coverage to first responders for search, rescue and recovery efforts. Tower climbers have been busy throughout the day replacing and repairing broken or displaced antennas and other structural damage caused to towers during the storm.

Refueling efforts continue in earnest and our Verizon emergency response team is confident of our supply and ability to keep our generators fueled and running.

Additional Verizon engineers and technicians are coming into the market to bolster our ground forces.

Our Network teams and vendor partners are staffing our 24x7 virtual wireless command center and we are in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams and are coordinating communication needs and efforts with them.

Verizon Response Team

Our Verizon Response Team remains deployed across the impacted areas and is working 24/7 to coordinate with first responders. The team is in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams and is coordinating communication needs and efforts with these agencies. Since arriving in Southeastern Louisiana on Monday, the Verizon Response Team has deployed more than 300 Verizon Frontline solutions to support more than 35 public sector organizations including hospitals, emergency operations centers, multiple public safety agencies, and federal, state and local government offices including the Louisiana governor's office.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

September 1 Update:

Network Update

Verizon Network teams continue to make strong progress in our restoration efforts, especially in the hardest hit areas of LaPlace, Port Sulphur, Thibodaux, the Southern coastline of Lake Pontchartrain, Hammond, St. Helena Parish, and Houma. Overnight, Verizon engineers were able to restore partial service to many of those areas.

Despite flooding, downed power lines and debris blocking access to many locations, our teams have completed over 100 site surveys, some completed with airboats. As site surveys are completed, our engineers are identifying power outages, broken fiber lines (which carry data from the cell site to the switch and core locations of the network,) and numerous antennas that are broken or misdirected as a result of hurricane force winds. Engineers are activating recovery plans to address each of these issues.

Antennas:

If an antenna is not working or is pointing towards the ground or sky as opposed to towards customers, even if the cell site is on air it will not carry optimized levels of cellular traffic. Verizon has teams of tower climbers and repair crews mobilizing today to fix the damage to antennas to optimize coverage and capacity at each of our sites that were damaged by the storm.

Fiber:

Verizon fiber teams are deployed throughout the market today to assist in repairing fiber connections. Meanwhile, our engineering teams are deploying satellite links and temporary microwave connections which will help bring cell sites back online until permanent fiber repairs can be made.

Power:

Commercial power outages continue, so refueling efforts for permanent and temporary generators continue in earnest. Verizon crews have also mobilized portable generators to restore power to areas without commercial power or permanent generator backup.

Verizon crews have deployed a dozen mobile assets such as temporary, satellite-connected cell sites to assist emergency operations centers, fire departments, search and rescue, FEMA and others in LaFourche Parish, St. Charles Parish, Jefferson Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish and more. Deployments continue today as we work to provide coverage to the hardest hit areas where cell sites are still off air and where rescue and recovery teams are hard at work.

In lieu of physical command centers our virtual command center in Louisiana is activated (in accordance with recommended social distancing policies) and our employees are using additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they engage in recovery efforts.

The Verizon Response Team (VRT) stands ready 24/7 365 days a year to support first responders. We are in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams and are coordinating communication needs and efforts with them.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

August 31 Afternoon Update:

Network Update

Despite the widespread flooding, commercial power outages and structural devastation caused by Hurricane Ida, currently 85% of Verizon cell sites that were in the path of the storm are in service. About half of our out-of-service sites have overlapping coverage from nearby sites, meaning most customers are able to get a signal. Many hard hit areas that were experiencing loss of service yesterday are now fully or partially restored, including Morgan City, Thibodaux, Houma, and Port Sulphur. We are still seeing some gaps in service in coastal areas of Louisiana, LaPlace, St. Helena Parish, and the southern coastline of Lake Pontchartrain.

Additionally, we have responded to numerous requests from first responders, deploying mobile satellite linked cell sites to local and state emergency operation centers and sheriff’s departments. Numerous more mobile assets are in process of being deployed to support shelters, hospitals, 911 centers, FEMA, parish command centers and other support organizations.

Our Verizon Response team is deployed in the impacted areas and working 24/7 to coordinate with first responders. We are in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams and are coordinating communication needs and efforts with them. The Verizon Response Team has deployed more than 200 Verizon Frontline solutions to support more than 20 public sector agencies conducting emergency response operations in Southeastern Louisiana. First responder customers with wireless priority service should utilize *272 when placing calls.

Throughout the day, our engineers and technicians have been using multiple means of transportation - including air boats - to complete site survey work in inaccessible areas and restore service to impacted cell sites. They will continue to deploy mobile assets as needed, work with our fiber vendors to repair broken fiber, and continue massive refueling operations to keep generators running until commercial power is restored. There are some impacts to fiber connections in the area (fiber transports data from our cell sites to network switch and core locations), so teams set up satellite backhaul trailers to provide temporary connection to macro towers until fiber is restored.

In accordance with recommended social distancing policies, Verizon has activated a virtual command center in Louisiana and our employees are using additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they engage in recovery efforts.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

August 31 Update:

Verizon Foundation donates $100,000 to support Hurricane Ida relief efforts in Louisiana

In light of the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Ida, the Verizon Foundation is making a $100,000 donation to the Foundation for Louisiana. Verizon’s donation will support the Hurricane Ida Relief Fund for Evacuation and Recovery to help Louisiana communities that were impacted by this week’s storm.

“The communities where we work and live are the lifeblood of our business. Supporting our customers, neighbors and friends during a crisis is what we do best,” said Ronan Dunne, executive vice president and CEO of Verizon Consumer Group. “We are committed to helping Louisianans recover from this catastrophic storm.”

“For 16 years, the Foundation for Louisiana has been a mission-critical philanthropy that ensures all Louisianans are included in designing an effective recovery in disaster and strengthening communities out of disaster time,” said Flozell Daniels, Jr., CEO & President, Foundation for Louisiana. “Verizon has been a stalwart partner in resourcing these efforts and holding a true commitment to Louisiana’s people. This is our second time working with Verizon to respond to our communities and we appreciate the consistent support.”

Network Update

Less than 24 hours after Hurricane Ida moved out of the gulf, Verizon’s network team is deep into recovery and support efforts. Despite extensive flooding and debris preventing access to some facilities, site surveys to assess damage to cell sites and network facilities are ongoing – some being completed with airboat reconnaissance. The team has prioritized restoration efforts, focusing on first responders and search and recovery efforts.

In downtown New Orleans and Baton Rouge, there are a few scattered cell sites experiencing issues, but the majority of Verizon customers are experiencing minimal service interruptions thanks to overlapping coverage (service from nearby cell sites.) Our teams are focused on assessment and recovery plans for the areas with gaps in coverage, which include the coastal areas of Louisiana, Thibodaux, Morgan City, Houma, Slidell, Hammond, La Place, and the southern coastline of Lake Pontchartrain.

We are continuing a massive refueling operation to keep our generators at our cell sites and network facilities running for our customers until commercial power is restored. Our engineers are confident we have the fuel and crews we need to keep that operation running 24x7 until that happens.

Last night, Verizon engineers began deploying mobile assets (temporary mobile network equipment), bringing up one cell site in Morgan City using satellite links to connect the cell site, and deploying two mobile cell sites in support of government and fire department staging areas.

Today’s recovery efforts include an aggressive plan for further deployment of mobile assets to support local shelters, state and local emergency operations centers, 911 centers, hospitals, sheriff departments and fire departments. With flooding still a significant barrier, our teams will be using highboy trailers and airboats to assist with these deployments and activations. We will also focus on fiber restoration or temporary replacements for fiber (which provides the connection between cell sites and the rest of the network) using satellite links or microwave links.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

August 30 Afternoon Update:

Network Update

Verizon’s network continues to withstand the impacts of the storm with few concentrated areas of impact to our network. The situation remains fluid with power outages, flooding and significant damage present in the path of the storm.

Verizon engineers and technicians have begun the difficult work of assessing damage and prioritizing restoration efforts. Flooding and debris are making access to many places difficult, but teams will continue working on site surveys to prioritize and begin implementing restoration plans. We will prioritize assistance for first responders, emergency operation centers, and search and rescue efforts. Safety remains a top priority for our teams that are out working to repair and maintain the network for customers and first responders.

In the midst of widespread commercial power outages, we have backup generators running at cell sites and switch facilities, and we are on standby to refuel generators as soon as needed when it is safe for crews to be out.

Specific storm impacts:

Louisiana:

In downtown New Orleans and Baton Rouge, our network operations have withstood the storm’s ferocity. We have scattered cell sites throughout those main metro areas, with the majority of Verizon customers experiencing minimal service interruptions due to overlapping coverage (service from nearby cell sites.)

Our teams are focused on assessment and recovery plans for the areas with gaps in coverage, which include:

• The coastal areas of Louisiana
• Thibodaux
• Morgan City
• Houma
• Hammond
• Southern coastline of Lake Pontchartrain

In Mississippi, we have scattered cell sites throughout the storm-impacted areas, with the majority of Verizon customers experiencing minimal service interruptions due to overlapping coverage (service from nearby cell sites.)

Our Network teams and vendor partners are staffing our 24x7 virtual wireless command center, assessing damage and mobilizing equipment and teams needed for repairs. We are in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams, and are coordinating communication needs and efforts with them.

The Verizon Response Team stands at the ready 24/7 365 days a year to support first responders. We are in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams and are coordinating communication needs and efforts with them.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

August 30 Morning Update:

What you need to know:

• Verizon is providing unlimited calling, texting and data to its customers most impacted by Hurricane Ida

• Verizon’s network remains resilient despite severity of this storm

• Customers can contribute to relief efforts through a text to donate campaign

Verizon provides relief to customers most impacted by the storm

Following the historic landfall of Hurricane Ida, Verizon is providing unlimited calling, texting and data to its consumer and small business* customers in the following parishes beginning August 30 through September 5:

Louisiana Parishes: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint James, Saint Tammany, St Helena, St John the Baptist, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana

Mississippi Counties: Pearl River, Pike

*Small business customers with 50 lines or less

Text to Donate

Verizon customers can help provide relief to those impacted by Hurricane Ida by texting to donate to the following:

Text FOOD to 80100 to make a one-time $10 donation to the World Central Kitchen. They have boots on the ground already and are preparing stations in safe zones in order to provide nutritious meals in this time of need to families, volunteers and anyone affected by the hurricane.

Text GIVE to 52000 to make a one-time $10 donation to The Salvation Army National Corporation to help in rescuing those in need - supplying food, water, shelter, and vital resources. Your ongoing support helps them continue until the healing's complete.

Network Update

As the most severe hurricane to make landfall in this storm-weary area in years continues inland, it has left commercial power outages, extensive flooding and significant structural damage throughout the area in its wake. Despite the extensive devastation, Verizon’s network remains resilient, and our teams are actively assessing the situation to engage rapidly in recovery efforts.

While we are seeing sites out of service in the heaviest hit areas, overlapping sites are offering some coverage to residents and first responders who remain there. Our backup generators and batteries are running to keep many of our cell sites and facilities in service in the midst of extremely widespread commercial power outages. 

Once the storm subsides and it is safe to do so, our crews will begin site assessments to prioritize repairs, move mobile assets into place as needed, and activate a massive refueling operation to keep sites running until commercial power is restored. Our mobile cell sites, generators, drones, and satellite links are moving into the area from the safe zones where they were pre-staged before the storm. We will prioritize assistance for first responders, emergency operation centers and search and rescue efforts.

Our Network teams and vendor partners are staffing our 24x7 virtual wireless command center and we are in contact with federal, state and local emergency management teams and are coordinating communications needs and efforts with them.

**Editor’s Note: We have b-roll, pictures and additional information on our emergency response equipment available at our Media Resource Center - https://www.verizon.com/about/news/media-resources

August 29 Update:

As Hurricane Ida makes its way to the Gulf, Verizon teams in the storm-weary markets prepare to once again provide critical communications before, during and after the storm. The likelihood of potential flooding is high and accompanying commercial outages are expected. Verizon engineers are topping off generators and pre-staging trucks with fuel, readying mobile network assets for rapid deployment, preparing satellite and microwave equipment as redundancy connections if fiber is impacted, and activating response teams to keep customers and first-responders connected. Despite numerous mobile assets being deployed in support of wild fire efforts in the west, flooding in Tennessee, assisting in processing Afghan refugees, and ongoing support for the pandemic response, Verizon has pre-staged numerous emergency assets outside of the storm’s projected path.

“We are actively preparing for Ida and our Verizon team is ready to support the community as yet another major storm impacts this area,” said Kyle Malady, Chief Technology Officer at Verizon. “We know our customers count on us, especially during tough times, and we will be there with them every step of the way to provide reliable connections to critical resources, colleagues, friends and family.”

Verizon is ready.

Verizon has prepared to ensure the network is ready for Tropical Storm Ida:

• Support for first-responders: More public-safety professionals rely on Verizon than any other network. Verizon Frontline is the advanced network and technology built for first-responders—developed over nearly three decades of partnership with public safety officials and agencies—to meet their unique needs. When seconds matter, Verizon Frontline provides network priority and preemption and a commitment to real interoperability, giving first-responders access to the network when they need it. The Verizon Response Team is also available 24/7 to deliver Verizon Frontline technologies including on-demand, emergency assistance for first-responders. We mobilize Verizon Frontline drones, charging stations, WiFi hotspots, devices, special equipment, emergency vehicles and more to help enable mission-critical communications for local, state and federal agencies across the country. First-responder customers with wireless priority service should dial *272 or download the Priority Telecommunications Services app when placing calls.
• COVID-19 considerations: With the ongoing pandemic, we have worked to ensure we have the necessary personal equipment and processes for our field teams who may have to enter highly populated areas like shelters or operations centers. We have virtualized many command-center functions to make it easier for our engineers working on network repairs and deploying mobile assets to remain socially distanced. We have also arranged for individual portable housing units for mission critical network engineers in the field.
• Redundancy Equals Reliability/Backups to the Backups: We use different strategies — including backup generators and HVAC systems and redundant fiber rings for cell sites and switching centers — to keep the network running and customers connected when commercial power is lost or water damage occurs.
• Refueling strategy: We pre-arrange fuel deliveries for our generators in case of a storm, with tankers poised and in position to quickly respond to hard-hit areas in the event commercial power is lost.
• Year-round preparation: We run Emergency Operation Center drills throughout the year to ensure our team is ready and equipped to respond to emergencies.
• Support for the community: Our mobile Wireless Emergency Communications Centers, Tactical Command Trailers, and Response Trailers are ready to deploy to support first-responders and community members with recovery efforts.
• Drones at the ready: We have surveillance drones on standby to help assess and respond to damage from a storm.
• Satellite assets: We have a fleet of new satellite-equipped portable cell sites and dedicated satellite links for connection. If sustained winds, storm surges or manual fiber cuts damage fiber or microwave during post-storm recovery, the network can continue to run without commercial power, thanks to satellite-enabled portable equipment, dedicated satellite links and our fleet of portable generators.
• Comprehensive fleet management: In the days leading up to and during a storm, it’s critical for mobile businesses to know where to allocate people, assets and vehicles. The Verizon Connect fleet management platform provides greater visibility and situational awareness to help move people and assets out of harm’s way and plan a more coordinated return to business once the storm clears.