False evacuation alert sent to residents in several northern Minnesota counties

A false evacuation alert was sent to residents in several northern Minnesota counties Wednesday morning, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM).

DPS reported the message was sent to residents in Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Pine and St. Louis counties. The Itasca County Sheriff's Department also reported residents in the county received the message. 

Residents in several northern Minnesota Counties received a wireless emergency alert (WEA) message this morning instructing them to evacuate. This was a routine internal weekly test of the system and not intended to be delivered to the public.

— Minnesota HSEM (@MnDPS_HSEM) February 5, 2020

The message was a part of an internal weekly test of the system and the message was not meant to be delivered to the public, according to DPS. 

DPS confirmed authorities are investigating how the message was delivered to the public.