The FCC's Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) is a web-based system through which the Commission collects operational status and restoration information from communications providers during major disasters and subsequent recover efforts. The FCC established DIRS on September 11, 2007, in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Mandatory DIRS reporting under 47 CFR § 4.18 for cable communications, wireless, wireline, and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers went into effect on February 20, 2025. DIRS reporting is also mandatory for all Stage 2 recipients of the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and the Connect USVI Fund. Television and radio broadcast providers, broadband Internet access service (BIAS) providers, satellite providers, and other communications service providers may report voluntarily in DIRS when it is active, but are not required to do so.
During disasters, DIRS offers communications providers a single, coordinated, consistent process to report their communications infrastructure status information and to request assistance. Cable, wireline, wireless, and VoIP providers are required to report their infrastructure status information daily when the Commission activates DIRS in geographic areas where they provide service, even when their reportable infrastructure has not changed since the previous day. Within 24 hours of the Commission’s deactivation of DIRS, these providers must also provide a single, final report to the Commission detailing the state of the infrastructure at the time of deactivation and an estimated date of resolution of any remaining outages.
The FCC relies on the data submitted in DIRS to both provide network status information to emergency management officials and to publish daily public communications status reports with aggregated service status information. The FCC’s analysis facilitates restoration efforts by state and federal partners and informs the FCC’s own assessments of communications reliability during disasters. Infrastructure status reported in DIRS is presumed confidential.
DIRS activations typically precede an anticipated major emergency, like a hurricane, or follow an unpredictable disaster, like a wildfire. The FCC announces DIRS activations through public notices and emails to DIRS participants. These notices list the counties or municipalities covered by the activation and provide reporting and contact information. Cable communications, wireline, wireless, and VoIP providers who report in DIRS during its activation are not required to make submissions in the Network Outage Reporting System (NORS) for outages within the activation area that arise during the DIRS activation and that are timely reported in DIRS.
Activation of DIRS is also one of the potential triggering events for the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative (MDRI), which requires facilities-based mobile wireless providers to take certain actions during emergencies. As with DIRS, the FCC announces MDRI activations through public notices. More information on the MDRI can be found here.
The Commission provides direct, read-only access to filings in the DIRS to agencies of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Tribal nations, territories, and federal government that have official duties which make them directly responsible for emergency management and first responder support functions. Agencies requesting access must demonstrate a need-to-know and must adhere to stipulations to protect confidential data in DIRS.
In recent years, DIRS was activated for events such as Super Typhoon Mawar, Hawaii Wildfires, Tropical Storm Hilary, and Hurricane Idalia in 2023; the New Mexico Wildfires, Hurricane Beryl, Hurricane Debby, Tropical Storm Ernesto, Hurricane Francine, Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton in 2024; and the Kentucky Floods and April Severe Weather in 2025. DIRS has also been activated in response to power shutoffs, winter storms, earthquakes and derechos.
Access DIRS
*This system is for communications providers only
Resources
- PSHSB Releases New DIRS Platform
- DIRS User Guide
- DIRS Upload API Guide
- See DIRS Activations
- 2021 Order on Communications Outage Information Sharing
- FCC Outage Information Sharing Guidance
- 47 CFR § 4.18
- Public Notice Announcing Compliance Deadline for DIRS Requirements
- 2024 Resilient Networks Second Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (mandating DIRS for cable communications, wireline, wireless, and VoIP providers)
- NORS and DIRS Outage Information Sharing
For questions about DIRS rules, contact:
Jeanne Stockman
Email: jeanne.stockman@fcc.gov
Phone: 202-418-7830
Logan Bennett
Email: logan.bennett@fcc.gov
Phone: 202-418-7790
For questions about DIRS, contact:
Michael Caiafa
Email: michael.caiafa@fcc.gov
Phone: 202-418-1311
John Healy
Email: john.healy@fcc.gov
Phone: 202-418-2448