emergency alert

Pedestrians walk as snow falls Sunday, Nov. 25, in Kansas City, Mo. Blizzard-like conditions have closed highways and delayed air travel as a winter storm moves through the Midwest.

As of 3:20 p.m. Aug. 9, cellular devices buzzed, notifying Utah County residents of the Coal Hollow Fire. Spreading within Spanish Fork Canyon, the uncontained flames have led officials to increase the evacuation and pre-evacuation areas. The alert encouraged the public to visit inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6101 or contact 385-200-4802 for more information. However, due to an overwhelming amount of traffic on the website, the server failed to connect for most, leaving Utah residents without updates.

FILE - In this Dec. 1, 2017 file photo, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency officials work at the department's command center in Honolulu. Nearly 40 terrifying minutes passed between the time the Hawaii agency fired off a bogus alert about an incoming missile over the weekend and the moment the notice was canceled. The confusion _ and panic _ has raised questions about whether any state should be responsible for the notification _ especially as Washington and North Korea trade insults and threats. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)