County officials directed residents to telephone government offices. The Sheriff’s Department and Medical Examiner reported email problems, while the impact on other public services remains unclear.
LOS ANGELES — November 13, 2026
Los Angeles County warned residents Thursday that a major Microsoft outage was preventing County departments from accessing email and important communications platforms, directing the public to contact government offices by telephone.
The Sheriff’s Department and Department of Medical Examiner reported email disruptions. County Supervisor Janice Hahn acknowledged problems affecting employees while saying government work continued.
But the County has not established whether the outage delayed public-benefit applications, medical appointments or emergency services.
Which departments were affected?
The Sheriff’s Department confirmed problems with its Microsoft email. A deputy told City News Service that messages had stopped updating Thursday morning.
The Department of Medical Examiner posted a separate notice saying its email was unavailable because of the nationwide Outlook outage. It directed people with urgent matters to call 323-343-0512.
The Department of Public Health also displayed the Countywide warning, although that notice did not identify a specific suspended service.
The County has not provided a comprehensive list of affected departments or the duration of each disruption.
Were CalFresh or Medi-Cal services interrupted?
The Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) maintained an accessible website with benefit resources and customer-service information.
No department-specific announcement confirming delays in CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWORKs processing was identified.
Residents facing application or renewal deadlines should contact DPSS directly rather than assume the County has extended deadlines.
The DPSS Customer Service Center can be reached at 866-613-3777.
Parriva recently explained how volunteering may help some residents meet CalFresh and Medi-Cal work requirements, underscoring the importance of timely benefit information.
What about medical appointments and Public Health?
The Department of Health Services publishes 844-804-0055 for appointment assistance, with option 1 for new patients and option 9 for current patients.
The department has an information-technology contingency policy, but that does not establish whether every patient-facing system remained operational during the outage.
No Countywide cancellation of medical appointments was confirmed in the information reviewed.
The Department of Public Health lists 833-540-0473 for general information, available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Patients with scheduled visits should confirm directly with their facility.
Were emergency communications affected?
The County’s emergency-information website displayed the Microsoft outage warning but did not report an active Countywide emergency incident.
That does not independently establish whether emergency dispatch, public alerts or other communications systems experienced problems.
No official confirmation that those systems failed was identified.
For immediate emergencies, residents should call 911.
How can residents reach County offices?
The County directed residents to its official department directory for telephone contact information.
Its general information number is 213-974-1234. Residents can also call 211 for information and service referrals.
Anyone facing an urgent deadline should contact the responsible office, ask about accepted alternatives to email and keep a record of the instructions received.
Telephone referrals are especially important for residents seeking time-sensitive assistance. Parriva has previously explained how domestic-violence survivors can seek shelter referrals and protection in LA County. The Microsoft outage does not establish that those referral services were interrupted.
Has County communication been restored?
The County’s Microsoft warning remained visible during the latest website review. The Medical Examiner’s website also continued to display its email-outage notice.
Those notices do not establish the exact current condition of every department.
The unanswered questions now concern the duration of the disruption, whether residents experienced delays and how County agencies maintained essential communications.
Until officials provide a fuller update, residents should confirm time-sensitive matters directly with the appropriate department.
