High Winds Disrupt Phone, Internet at Medina County Offices

Multiple agencies including public transit and the dog shelter affected by outage

Mar. 13, 2026 at 6:36pm

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Several Medina County government offices were left without phone and internet service on Friday afternoon as high winds swept through the region. The outage impacted agencies such as Medina County Public Transit, the Medina County Home, the Medina County Dog Shelter, and the Medina County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Why it matters

The widespread outage disrupted critical county services and highlighted the vulnerability of local infrastructure to extreme weather events. Maintaining reliable communication and technology access is essential for government agencies to effectively serve the public, especially during emergencies.

The details

The outage came as the National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning for the area, with forecasters predicting wind gusts up to 70 mph. The strong winds had the potential to knock down trees and power lines, causing scattered power outages. Officials advised residents to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.

  • The outage occurred on Friday, March 13, 2026 around 1 PM.
  • The high-wind warning remained in effect until 8 PM on Friday.

The players

Medina County Board of Commissioners

The governing body of Medina County, Ohio that announced the widespread outage affecting multiple county agencies.

National Weather Service

The federal agency that issued the high-wind warning for the region, predicting gusts up to 70 mph.

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The takeaway

This incident underscores the need for local governments to have robust backup communication systems and emergency preparedness plans in place to ensure critical services can continue operating during severe weather events that disrupt normal infrastructure.