How the global IT outage is impacting NYC services, transit, local airports

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — An update from CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that services numerous industries, appears to have sparked a worldwide IT outage, affecting many businesses and government services, including in New York City and other local areas.

The outage affected Microsoft 365’s apps and services, a commonly used platform.

“We’re investigating an issue impacting users’ ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services,” Microsoft 365 Status said on X.

In its latest update, it said that, “Multiple services are continuing to see improvements in availability as our mitigation actions progress.”

CITY SERVICES

Basic New York City services are operating, including 911 and 311, but agencies had difficulty accessing many of their functions controlled by Microsoft 365.

Police and firefighters are being dispatched over their radios, but police officers cannot use their department-issued phones and many desktop computer functions are not available.

Mayor Eric Adams and other city officials held a press conference on the outage and what impact it had on the city:

Adams said the city has done drills to prepare for situations just like the one that occurred.

TRANSIT

Subways, buses and commuter rails are running, but the MTA advised commuters that customer information systems that provide train and bus arrival information are unavailable.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said there was no impact to subway and bus service.

“The airline system may be in disarray, but nyc public transit system is going full speed,” Lieber said.

Some customer-facing services were down, including countdown clocks on the lettered train lines and information about arrival times

“As all New Yorkers know, the trains are coming, they are coming on regular schedules, and you can count on it. You just may not have the countdown clock available,” Lieber said.

NJ Transit is running, but experiencing some delays and cancelations. Services are unaffected by the global cyber issue. However, some of NJ Transit’s Ticket Vending Machines (TVM’s) are affected. Customers encountering an issue with a TVM and unable to purchase a ticket will not be denied service on rail, bus or light rail.

AIRPORTS

Thousands of flights have been canceled across the country to due the outage, including at the local New York City-area airports.

Just before 4:30 p.m., the major New York City-area airports reported 1,254 flights delayed and 479 canceled.

The Port Authority warns that customers should not head to the airport unless their flight status is confirmed.

All ground stops across the U.S. were lifted by noon. American Airlines, United and Delta had asked the FAA for global ground stop on all flights overnight.

Check your flight status:

Newark Liberty International Airport

JFK Airport

LaGuardia Airport

HOSPITALS

Some hospitals were indicating they were impacted. Critical services continue, but many hospitals will be postponing non emergency operations.

Dr. Mitch Katz, President of NYC Health + Hospitals, assured the public that all hospitals were functional. “Patients should keep their appointments. They might experience some delays, but the hospitals are running fine and able to do their function,” Dr. Katz confirmed.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said it was pausing the start of any procedures that require anesthesia and it was dealing with systems issues related to the technology disruption.

Gov. Hochul seemed to downplay the threat to hospitals, saying the outage may only affect “hospital billing systems … as opposed to directly patient care.”

DMV

Major disruptions have been reported at DMVs across New York.

Gov. Hochul said the state will show “maximum flexibility” to drivers scheduled to go to the DMV on Friday, “so no New Yorker is penalized as a result of something that is vastly out of their control, and out of our control, and we are trying very hard to get it under control.”

The DMV has said it is “unable to process transactions online and in person at our offices” due to the Microsoft outage.

Eyewitness News went to a DMV in Garden City, Long Island, and found Nassau County residents were being turned away as it closed its doors for the rest of the day.

LOCAL BUSINESSES

From fast food and convenience stores to hotels and more, businesses across the city have been impacted by the outage.

With electronic payment systems down, customers had to use cash to make purchases – something many people aren’t used to doing anymore.

Eyewitness News spoke with tourists in Times Square who said not being able to pay with their credit cards was a major headache.

SHIPPING

Port Newark’s two large shipping terminals, Maher Terminals and APM Terminals, have delayed opening Friday.

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

“NYSE markets are fully operational and we expect a normal open this morning,” said a NYSE spokesperson.

NEW YORK GOVERNMENT

“I am closely monitoring impacts to critical infrastructure in New York State due to a worldwide software issue. Our top priority is to ensure 911 systems are fully operational. A fix for the underlying issues has been identified & we are working with agencies on a resolution,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.

Hochul’s office said there are counties across the state that had to switch to backup 911 systems, but all currently have 911 service.

NEW JERSEY GOVERNMENT

“I have been briefed on the global technology outage involving CrowdStrike software and Microsoft operating systems, which has grounded flights, disrupted banks, and slowed the work of businesses and critical services including 911 call centers,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.

“We activated our State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) as of 3:00 a.m. in response to these disruptions and have provided guidance to relevant executive branch agencies on how to address the situation. We are also engaging county and local governments, 911 call centers, and utilities to assess the impact and offer our assistance.

“I’ve asked my senior team, including Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Laurie Doran, New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Pat Callahan, and Chief Technology Officer Chris Rein to provide additional updates during the course of the day as the situation evolves.”

CONNECTICUT GOVERNMENT

“We are in the process of assessing any possible impacts the global CrowdStrike incident may be having on state computer systems. We are asking state employees who may be experiencing technical difficulties to report them to their service desk or help desk as appropriate,” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said in a statement.

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