Amid threats of a missile attack by North Korea on the United States, Hawaii will fire up air raid sirens that haven’t been used since the Cold War.
The system, first installed when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, will be activated on Dec. 1 as part of a ballistic missile preparedness program, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
If they hear the ominous siren, residents will be instructed to immediately “get inside, stay inside and stay tuned,” according to ABC News.
Alerts also will be sent to citizens’ phones and broadcast on TV and radio.
“When [HI-EMA] started this campaign there were concerns we would scare the public. What we are putting out is information based on the best science that we have on what would happen if that weapon hit Honolulu or the assumed targets,” HI-EMA Administrator Vern Miyagi said.
With a launch-to-impact warning time of only 15 minutes, at most, residents are advised to have a designated place to seek shelter.
“There will be no time to call our loved ones, pick up our kids, and find a designated shelter. We should all prepare and exercise a plan ahead of time so we can take some comfort in knowing what our loved ones are doing,” Miyagi said.
Based on the estimated size of the country’s missile technology, there could be around 18,000 fatalities and anywhere from 50,000 to 120,000 burn victims if an attack were to occur, according to an HI-EMA fact sheet.
Although the US has conducted successful missile-interception tests, there is no guarantee that the military will successfully detect and intercept a target, according to HI-EMA.
North Korean despot Kim Jong Un has not directly threatened Hawaii, but missile test launches over Japan and spiking tensions between the rogue regime and the US prompted officials to take action.
Hawaii will test its alert warning signal for natural threats, like hurricanes and tsunamis, and the reactivated nuclear threat alert on the first business day of each month.