City of Amarillo, hospitals, airport report impact of global IT disruption

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – After the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike experienced a global technology outage on Friday morning affecting numerous industries and government agencies, the City of Amarillo and local hospitals updated on the disruption’s impact on area services – including issues with accepting water bill payments.

Amarillo city officials said that while the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport did not experience significant issues due to it using a separate software system, the Amarillo Utility Billing Department was unable to process in-person payments for water bills on Friday.

Customers were able to pay their water bills by phone or through the online portal, according to city officials, as well as through the night drop-box at Amarillo City Hall remaining available.

“The Utility Billing Department will work with customers during this global IT outage to address any issues,” said COA Utility Billing Manager Jennifer Gonzalez. “Customers are welcome to contact us with any questions or if any additional information is needed.”

Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on Friday that its Driver’s License Offices across the state were closed, “due to a technical issue which is related to the global CrowdStrike incident,” with no current estimate on when they will reopen.

Healthcare systems in the Amarillo area such as BSA Healthcare System and the Northwest Texas Healthcare System both reported minimal or no impact to their operations.

BSA officials confirmed with MyHighPlains.com that its system was not impacted by the disruption. NWTHS said that it was experiencing “minor disruptions” on Friday due to the incident, but that all hospital and clinic services, including Emergency and Freestanding Emergency Departments, were open and operating as normal.

For the latest Amarillo news and regional updates, check with MyHighPlains.com and tune in to KAMR Local 4 News at 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00 p.m. and Fox 14 News at 9:00 p.m. CST.