Hawaii is the first US state to prepare its public for the possibility of a ballistic missile strike from North Korea, with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency on Friday announcing a public education campaign about what to do.
Hawaii lawmakers have been urging emergency management officials to update Cold War-era plans for coping with a nuclear attack as North Korea develops nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that can reach the islands.
Starting in November, Hawaii is to begin monthly tests of an “attack-warning” siren the state has not heard since the end of the Cold War in the 1980s. The wailing siren is to be tested on the first working day of each month, after a test of an “attention-alert” steady tone siren with which residents are already familiar.
Photo: AP
Informational brochures, along with TV, radio and Internet announcements are to help educate the public about the new siren sound and provide preparedness guidance.
“If they’re not educated, they could actually be frightened by it,” agency executive director Toby Clairmont said of needing several months to introduce the new siren.
Because it would take a missile 15 minutes — maybe 20 minutes — to arrive, the instructions to the public are simple.
“Get inside, stay inside and stay tuned,” agency administrator Vern Miyagi said. “You will not have time to pick up your family and go to a shelter and all that kind of stuff... It has to be automatic.”
He said that the agency is simply trying to stay ahead of a “very unlikely” scenario, but it is a possibility that Hawaii cannot ignore.
Hawaii is an important strategic outpost for the US military. Oahu Island is home to US Pacific Command, the military’s headquarters for the Asia-Pacific region. It also hosts dozens of Navy ships at Pearl Harbor and is a key base for the US Air Force, Army and Marine Corps.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority supports preparing for disasters, but it is concerned that misinformation about bracing for a North Korean attack could scare travelers from visiting the islands, authority spokeswoman Charlene Chan said in a statement.
“The effect of such a downturn would ultimately be felt by residents who rely on tourism’s success for their livelihood,” she said.
With that in mind, Miyagi reiterated, “Hawaii is still safe.”
Hawaii residents, who already face hazards including from tsunami and hurricanes, are familiar with disaster preparedness. Because it is hurricane season, residents should already have an emergency kit that includes 14-days of food and water.
“It also works for this type of scenario,” Hawaii State Department of Defense spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Charles Anthony said.
Hawaii officials surveyed 28 US states and cities about what they are doing about the North Korea threat.
“They think it’s too soon,” Clairmont said.
However, counterparts in California have contacted him asking for guidance now that they are starting to look at a similar effort, Clairmont said.
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