Many people ran around on the streets "crying and screaming" after the warning was wrongly sent to mobile phones and other devices: "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. The actions of many panicked residents after Saturday's false alarm were a far cry from what authorities recommend, and show just how unprepared Hawaii is for a North Korean nuclear missile attack.
Instead, it advises people to seek shelter in a building away from windows, or lie flat on the ground.
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The document, while offering advice to residents on how to survive a nuclear attack, also confirms that Hawaii has no public fallout shelters or shelter supply caches. It says that a single-kiloton range nuclear weapon detonated at 1,000 feet could kill almost 18,000 people and cause 50,000 to 120,000 trauma and burn casualties.Īs well as widespread building collapses and structural fires, up to 30 per cent of survivors would suffer acute radiation syndrome. Honolulu residents speak of panic following false missile alarm Such an attack would "likely occur without prior warning", it warns. The "Emergency Preparedness" document, published in November by Hawaii's Emergency Management Authority, warns that Hawaiian residents and visitors would have "less than 12 to 15 minutes" to seek shelter in the event of a real nuclear missile threat. It's the very real scenario Hawaiian authorities are preparing for, laid out in a document about the US state's preparedness for a nuclear attack.Īlthough Saturday's missile warning was a false alarm, US authorities believe there's a very high likelihood that Hawaii - particularly Honolulu and the island of Oahu - would be the primary target of a North Korean nuclear attack. That exact scenario is being seriously considered Twenty minutes after launch, a nuclear bomb detonates 1,000 feet above the Hawaiian capital, and thousands are killed and many more are left with burns and radiation poison. Panicked residents and visitors have no more than 15 minutes to find somewhere to find cover - but there are no public fallout shelters. Sirens begin blaring across the state and an alert is sent to mobile phones, radio and television. Suddenly, the US Pacific Command detects the missile in mid-air and sends an alert to Hawaii's State Warning Point, which instantly activates its public warning system.
Consider the following scenario: a nuclear missile is launched from North Korea on a direct path for Honolulu.įor at least five minutes, Hawaiians are blissfully unaware of the danger.