This went out in Hawaii a little while ago.



And this is already going around the internet:



I'm not a big fan of conspiracy theories. I think it was just a major screwup. But you can bet we'll be hearing more about this.

Onward and upward,
airforce

They are are saying that this occurred during a "shift change " when an employee "pressed the wrong button"...

Remember what Ronnie said.

I'm old enough to remember that old "Duck and Cover" film . Maybe it's time to bring it back.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Hawaii officials say 'false alarm' on alert about inbound ballistic missile

By Julia Manchester - 01/13/18

Hawaii officials said Saturday that a mobile alert saying a ballistic missile was headed for the state was a "false alarm" after people received the alert detailing an imminent threat.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) issued a tweet saying that "there is no incoming missile to Hawaii," saying she had confirmed with officials the alert was a false alarm.

Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency also confirmed on Twitter that there was no threat. Another alert was sent out 38 minutes later calling the initial alert a false alarm.

HAWAII - THIS IS A FALSE ALARM. THERE IS NO INCOMING MISSILE TO HAWAII. I HAVE CONFIRMED WITH OFFICIALS THERE IS NO INCOMING MISSILE. pic.twitter.com/DxfTXIDOQs
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) January 13, 2018

NO missile threat to Hawaii.
— Hawaii EMA (@Hawaii_EMA) January 13, 2018

U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Cmdr. David Benham said in a statement that the military "has detected no ballistic missile threat to Hawaii" and that an "earlier message was sent in error."

President Trump was briefed on the situation Saturday afternoon while in Florida for the weekend, the White House said.
"The President has been briefed on the state of Hawaii's emergency management exercise. This was purely a state exercise," White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said.

Hawaii lawmakers quickly decried the false alert, with Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) calling for changes to ensure similar errors didn't happen again.

"What happened today is totally inexcusable. The whole state was terrified. There needs to be tough and quick accountability and a fixed process," Schatz wrote on Twitter.

The false alarm comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear program and continued testing of ballistic missiles.

“The people of Hawaii just got a taste of the stark reality of what we face here with a potential nuclear strike on Hawaii," Gabbard said during a phone interview Saturday on CNN.

“This is a real threat facing Hawaii,” she added, speaking of residents on the island being forced into a situation where they had to rush for cover.

The Hawaii Democrat said officials she spoke with indicated that the initial alert was sent out inadvertently, characterizing it as an accident.

Multiple members of the media and others shared the mobile alert they received Saturday, which warned of an inbound ballistic missile threat and called for people to seek immediate shelter.



Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill. pic.twitter.com/tlJYNwCr1A
— Ryan Ozawa (@hawaii) January 13, 2018

Uh... pic.twitter.com/3tgJNFyyPU
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) January 13, 2018

6 mins into our ride here in Hawaii and this is the text I just received? Not sure what to do. Sirens are going off. pic.twitter.com/D5USDAw3wp
— Emily Batty (@emilybatty) January 13, 2018

I'm thinking this false alarm may be a blessing in disguise. It actually gets people thinking about what they should do.

If you panic, you will die. If you shrug your shoulders, grab a beer, and go outside to watch the fireworks, you will die. The folks I read about who started filling water bottles, gathered hand tools, and got the family together in the bathroom with a mattress over them? They have a good chance of survival.

Personally, I think they should find the guy who issued the alarm, and give him a medal. He could very well end up saving lives.

Onward and upward,
airforce

Next time, most folks will just think it's another false alarm and ignore it.

Hmmm
Link here - https://www.yahoo.com/news/now-japanese-tv-issues-false-alarm-missile-launch-104605205.html

I'm of the opinion, some one (or group) has hacked the warning system. NK?? playing games possibly, or another group for whatever reason.

Etech, have you read the reports that claim the cell and internet system dropped out immediately after the alert was issued in Hawaii? Left everyone with NO communications for several hours.

I also wonder about their protocols. I would imagine that issuing a missile alert should not be as simple as just pushing the wrong button. Usually stuff of that serious a nature has a clearly defined procedure requiring several steps to complete the process.

That Japan warning only went out to people with the NHK app installed on their phones,so it is obviously something having to do with the broadcaster. It could simply be a coincidence that another fellow simply goofed, but I tend to not believe in coincidences.

Onward and upward,
airforce

CSC wrote-
Yes, I did read about cell & internet dropping. Although I thought cell service was in the Federal realm, not the state. WiFi is 'sort of' understandable as both WiFi and Cell can be a "DF" source for aircraft or missiles. As could AM, FM or TV signals be used for 'DF' purpose. However regular Cable or wired Internet should not need be turned off.

A lot of the people were complaining bitterly about the sudden loss of communications. Folks back in the 70's had that problem figured out...everyone had a CB. With the easy availability of radio equipment there is no excuse not to have commo.

Here are some interesting comments. https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=232787&page=1

Remy has a new song about this. "Wedu Nagivafaka" is not safe for work, but it's pretty good.

Onward and upward,
airforce