Why did Hawaii misreport the missile attack?

"There are ballistic missiles flying to Hawaii, please enter the bunker as soon as possible. This is not an exercise. " 13 at 8: 07 a.m. local time on June 38, Hawaii Emergency Management Bureau released this warning message to local people and tourists through the mobile phone network, which immediately put this archipelago called "holiday paradise" into panic. ?

"On Saturday morning, I just woke up and received a' missile attack' alarm. My boyfriend and I quickly hid in the basement to avoid the upcoming missile attack. I was thinking, oh, my God! Am I going to die! " A 24-year-old woman named jocelyn Azbel told CNN that day.

When some people think that "death is coming", they begin to say "the last goodbye" to their relatives and friends through telephone messages or social media. Hawaiian Noah Tom told Washington post on June 38+03: "When I received the alarm, I was making breakfast. It took only 15-20 minutes for the missile to reach Hawaii, while his wife was at work, his eldest daughter had just been sent away, and the other two children were at home. I sent them a message saying' I love you' and tried my best to convey my love and attachment to every family member. "

According to Washington post 65438+ 10/3, in the past, local people and tourists were informed in advance through the media and SMS to avoid unnecessary panic. But this time there was no warning. After receiving the message, some people and tourists went to the shelter, while others were at a loss, so scared that they hid under the table at home and waited for "bad luck".

"Everyone was rushed to the basement by the hotel staff like a cow. Many people are crying and their faces show panic. " Jocelyn Azbel said.

Most people staying in hotels are tourists who come to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Hawaii. Jocelyn Azbell told CNN: "Hawaii is really beautiful, but I don't want to die here."

According to the report, after about 13 minutes (8: 20), the official used Twitter to release a message saying that the alarm of "missile attack" was a false alarm. It was not until 8: 45 that local residents received another mobile phone reminder message telling everyone that the first alarm was a false alarm. In this regard, many people expressed dissatisfaction on social media and thought that the relevant departments were seriously dereliction of duty.

Courtney McLaughlin, the wedding host, told the media that after the warning of "missile attack" was issued at 8: 07, the quiet street just past Saturday morning became a "road full of hysterical shouts".

Ruth Goldbaum and her family live in Oahu, where Lu Lu badminton is located. The purpose of their trip is to visit their son who served in the navy. Ruth Goldbaum said in an interview with CNN, "After receiving such an alarm message, your mood will change. You will say goodbye to your family and tell them what happened." Ruth Goldbaum said, "At that time, some people were so scared that they climbed under the table."

Some Hawaiian text messages are cold and humorous: "Sorry, the subscriber you dialed is hiding in the anti-missile fortress".

According to the report, about 13 minutes after the "missile attack" alarm was issued, the Hawaii Emergency Measures Agency issued a correction message through Twitter, saying that it was not threatened by missiles.

The US Department of Defense website 13 published that the US Pacific Command issued a statement on the same day to clarify that the US military did not monitor the missile threat against Hawaii, and the North American Air Defense Command also issued a statement with similar wording on the same day.

Hawaii Governor David Iger 13 said that the incident was caused by human error. An emergency department worker pressed the wrong button during routine operation. He also said that he has held talks with senior officials of the US Department of Defense and the Emergency Management Agency on this matter, and they will find out the causes of false positives and make plans to prevent such incidents from happening again.

At present, Hawaii has resumed the "missile attack" warning (also known as the nuclear attack warning) during the Cold War. Officials of the Hawaii Emergency Management Bureau said that Hawaii was the first state in the United States to restore the alarm system during the Cold War.

Last year, 65438+February 1 day, the early warning of "missile attack" was tested for the first time since the end of the Cold War. According to local media, the "missile attack" alarm lasted for one minute after the routine alarm test of natural disasters such as tsunami familiar to local residents. At the famous Waikiki Beach, people who heard the alarm in the distance didn't seem to have much reaction.

The report quoted the governor of Hawaii as saying that Hawaii is unlikely to be attacked by nuclear weapons, but it is important to be prepared. The governor said that the new air defense warning test will ensure that the public knows what they should do in the event of an imminent nuclear attack. Officials of the emergency measures department said that after the missile was launched, local people and tourists had less than 20 minutes to find shelter. Hawaii is one of the States closest to North Korea in the United States, and a large number of troops also make Hawaii more likely to be a nuclear strike target.

According to the assessment of American experts, missiles launched from the Korean peninsula can fly to the Hawaiian Islands within 20 minutes. The government needs about 5 minutes to determine the flight path of the missile, and then there is about 15 minutes to inform the people and tourists.

Through decades of construction, the United States has established an early strategic early warning system consisting of a missile early warning satellite, a land-based strategic early warning radar and a sea-based strategic early warning radar, which can give an early warning of a nuclear attack launched by any country on the earth about 15-30 minutes in advance.

The United States "Federal Civil Defence Guide" proposes that enemy missiles can be launched from distant bases and hit American targets within 30 minutes. In order to get as much forecast time as possible in such a short time, it is necessary to realize the complete automation of the alarm system.

The false alarm of "missile attack" makes people realize that nuclear weapons, the sword of Damocles hanging high during the Cold War, are not far away, especially in the complicated situation of nuclear guidance on the Korean Peninsula, people will pay more attention to this issue and their own security.

Ruth Goldbaum told CNN frankly: "I experienced a day from comfort to panic. I don't deny that I'm scared. The United States and North Korea are threatening each other militarily, and their words are becoming more and more fierce, which is not conducive to peace. "

"This is the future world? Can we only stay in the shelter? The only thing we need is peace, which is to solve these problems through diplomatic means. "