Phone, Internet and electric service to Yellowstone National Park were disrupted Wednesday morning.

A local power outage overnight cut electric service to a communications relay tower near Gardiner.

Qwest Communications provides phone and Internet connectivity to the park and the nearby communities of Gardiner and Cooke City. Cell service in and near the park depends on the microwave communications relay.

A Qwest spokesperson confirmed that the area lost phone and Internet service Wednesday morning when the backup batteries powering the microwave relay site ran out.

A storm that had washed out the access road to the tower forced Qwest technicians to carry additional batteries to the site. Phone service was restored at about 11 a.m.

A second power outage in the area was more widespread.

About 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, a NorthWestern Energy transmission line between Clyde Park and Emigrant broke. A company spokesman said the line ties in with another out of Livingston that services Gardiner, Mammoth Hot Springs and much of Yellowstone's interior.

When the line broke, the area lost electrical service for 60 to 90 minutes.

Some parts of the park will remain on backup generators until the repairs to the main NorthWestern Energy line are completed Wednesday evening.

A third power outage Wednesday morning affected Cooke City, just outside the park's Northeast Entrance. The area is served by Flathead Electric Cooperative.