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hawaii emergency alert
Hawaii Emergency Alert: False Missile Threat Causes Panic
On Saturday, January 13th, 2018, a false emergency alert was sent out to all cell phones in Hawaii, warning of an imminent missile threat. The alert caused widespread panic and confusion, as many residents believed that a real missile attack was underway.
False Missile Alert Causes Panic, Confusion in Hawaii
The alert was sent out at 8:07 a.m. local time, and read: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” The alert was repeated several times over the next few minutes, causing widespread panic and confusion.
Many residents scrambled to find shelter, while others tried to contact loved ones. Some people even reported seeing missiles in the sky, but these reports were later determined to be false.
Emergency Alert System Failure
The false alert was caused by a human error at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA). An employee of HI-EMA accidentally selected the “live” alert option instead of the “test” option when sending out the alert.
The error was quickly corrected, and a corrected alert was sent out at 8:13 a.m. local time, stating that the previous alert was a false alarm. However, the damage had already been done.
Widespread Panic and Confusion
The false alert caused widespread panic and confusion in Hawaii. Many residents were terrified, and some even reported experiencing physical symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
The false alert also disrupted businesses and schools. Some businesses were forced to close, and some schools were placed on lockdown.
Investigation and Aftermath
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) is currently investigating the false alert. The agency has said that it is taking steps to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
In the aftermath of the false alert, many residents have expressed concerns about the reliability of the Emergency Alert System. Some have called for changes to the system, such as requiring multiple people to approve an alert before it is sent out.