GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) – The National Weather Service told Local 8 News that an evacuation alert requested by Sevier Co. officials was never sent via text to mobile devices through its system to warn people in Sevier County of evacuation orders.  Anthony Cavallucci, a National Weather Service spokesperson, said when asked by 911 dispatchers in Sevier County to relay the evacuation message Monday, the National Weather Service crafted an alert and sent it to weather radios, TV stations, and LP1 and LP2 radio stations but not to mobile users. Cavallucci says the federal Wireless Emergency Alert service provided by FEMA does not include the option to send alerts to cell phones unless in the event of a tornado warning, flash flood warning, hurricane warning, tsunami warning, dust storm or excessive high wind.

The National Weather Service told Local 8 News the first alert was sent to weather radios, TV stations, and LP1 and LP2 radio stations at 9:04 p.m. on Monday. Cavallucci said the message reached people watching television at home, those with weather radios, and listeners on some radio stations.

During a news conference on Friday morning, John Matthews with the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency said a text alert telling people to evacuate went out at 9:04 p.m. Monday to anyone with a mobile device connected to a cell tower in the city. Matthews said some people did not receive the message due to power outages and loss of cellphone reception.

“They may have assumed that in today’s world a text alert would be sent based on that information but I don’t know what they thought,” Cavallucci said.

When Local 8 News called Sevier County Public Information Officer Perrin Anderson for clarification, he said he was unsure whether the county used another service to send an alert to cell phones.

During the news conference on Friday, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said they will evaluate the alert system and improve it.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent, Cassius Cash, said the appropriate amount of resources were called in to help, including four helicopters dropping water Sunday.

When asked by a reporter why they didn’t evacuate Gatlinburg earlier, Waters said the reporter didn’t know the area and he wasn’t getting into “Monday morning quarterbacking.”