At least two local areas with big fireworks displays could see a lack of cell service on Independence Day. Known as “tower congestion,” the problem comes when large crowds gather, causing cell towers to become overloaded. Areas around lakes and public parks are particularly vulnerable.

“Make a plan to know where to meet ahead of time because our cellular lines can’t support that many phones,” Amber Fagan, Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce president, warned. “Decide what you’re going to do like the old days because chances are you won’t have service.”

Belle Center is also known to have dead zones during their annual Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks. Both places are celebrating the evening of Saturday, July 4, which is also our nation’s 250th anniversary.

A few tips, according to Google:

• Turn on Wi-Fi calling in your settings to bypass the cellular network.

• Try texting. It requires less bandwidth and has a better chance of going through.

• Going in and out of airplane mode might force your phone to reconnect, hopefully to a less-congested tower or a different frequency.

• Avoid peak hours—usually the worst time is the 30-40 minutes after the finale. Which is why establishing a plan earlier in the day is a good safeguard.

• You could also check with your carrier to see if they’ve partnered with satellite companies to allow emergency SOS and basic text messaging when you’re in an area without reception.