The Federal Emergency Management Agency, more commonly known as FEMA, sent out a mass notification yesterday at 2:18pm EST to test the nationwide wireless emergency alert system. According to FEMA, "The Communications Act of 1934 established the authority for the President to use certain private sector communications systems for priority communications, such as sending alert and warning messages to the public, during national emergencies."

Info on the emergency alert test:
🔹It’s a nationwide test of the same system that pushes public emergency messages like AMBER alerts
🔹Presidential Alerts are only for national emergencies
🔹FEMA & @FCC are testing to ensure it will work when needed
FAQ: https://t.co/Op8T9AEpiF pic.twitter.com/FBC1AF7oHY

— FEMA (@fema) September 15, 2018

These alerts, actually set up by the Obama administration, are the real deal. You may have received similar emergency alerts or Amber alerts in the past, but those are regional can easily be disabled in your phone's settings. These new presidential alerts are mandatory and seem to have hit almost everyone in the country.

So... anything we should know, guys? Why is it being tested now? Has the risk of a nationwide emergency suddenly gone up for some reason? Maintaining systems like this is obviously important, but in America's current political climate it's enough to make anyone a little nervous.

Laughter is the best medicine though, right? Here's a handful of funny tweets about the alert!

(Disclaimer: A lot of these jokes are just taking the piss. The president has no actual control over the alert system.)

Well... nice of them to let people know #PresidentialAlert pic.twitter.com/aeevMHZyEX

— Andrej (@AndrejNkv) October 3, 2018

Just got my "Presidential Alert" test on both TV and phone. It may may be 2018 but feels more like "1984".

— Jake Snowflake™ 🇺🇸#KavaHELLnaugh🏳️🌈 (@jake_snowflake) October 3, 2018

My brother just texted me "It's like an Amber alert except it's used when someone has abducted your country."

— Jennifer Mendelsohn 🇺🇸 (@CleverTitleTK) October 3, 2018

This new Presidential Alert system is actually pretty useful pic.twitter.com/33v7pP0qvJ

— Pumpkin Spiceotope (@BuckyIsotope) October 3, 2018

Did everyone get this? pic.twitter.com/UurRByPc8l

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 3, 2018

DID YOU GET MY PRESIDENTIAL ALERT pic.twitter.com/u3bP7jIf3q

— kelly cohen (@politiCOHEN_) October 3, 2018

I don’t want this. How do we opt out, @fema? I know trump isn’t big on consent but I don’t consent to this. https://t.co/A04twRU39p

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 15, 2018

remember the good ol' days when we got an unsolicited U2 album on our phone instead

— Greg Mania (@gregmania) October 3, 2018

I literally have still not gotten the #PresidentialAlert.
I didn't know getting ghosted could ever make me this happy.

— Ziad Ahmed (@ziadtheactivist) October 3, 2018

So did the alert actually hit every single cellphone in the United States of America yesterday? What about no child left behind? If you're in the USA, help us out and let us know in the comments whether or not you received it!