You may be wondering what the heck just happened with your phone.

At 2:18 p.m. EST, FEMA sent out a "Presidential Alert," to any cell phone with a U.S. number. It was a test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), allowing President Trump to reach any U.S. cell phone with important information.

It's similar to the severe weather or flood warnings you probably already receive on your phones, or the Amber Alerts that are issued on occasion.

There is no way to opt out of receiving Presidential Alerts.

In addition to the alert, FEMA put out a message on the Emergency Alert System on television and radio with the following message:

THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.

The alert was originally scheduled for September 20, but pushed back to today due to storm response at the time.

 

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