UNDATED -- Residents in several northern Minnesota counties got a scare Wednesday morning.

The Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management office says they received a wireless emergency alert (WEA) message instructing them to evacuate. They say it was intended to be a routine internal weekly test of the system and was not supposed to be delivered to the public.

Authorities are investigating why it happened.

The message appears to have been sent to portions of Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Pine and St. Louis counties. There is no emergency in those areas.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

More From MIX 108