How Hawaii Could Have Sent a False Nuclear Alarm
As the citizens of Hawaii came out of hiding in their bathtubs and basements Saturday morning, after learning that the emergency alert they had received, warning of an imminent nuclear missile attack, was a false alarm, their fear and panic transformed into rage.
"I'm extremely angry right now. People should lose their jobs if this was an error," Hawaii State Representative Matt Lopresti told CNN.
Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz confirmed on Twitter that the alert, which said that a ballistic missile was inbound to Hawaii and urged people to seek shelter, was sent due to "human error." The initial alert went out at 8:07 am, but it wasn't until 8:43 am that the state sent a second alert, announcing it was a false alarm. Governor David Ige told CNN, "An employee pushed the wrong button."