{"id":53302,"date":"2017-11-27T05:12:57","date_gmt":"2017-11-27T05:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=53302"},"modified":"2017-11-27T05:12:57","modified_gmt":"2017-11-27T05:12:57","slug":"hawaii-reinstates-attack-warning-siren-to-prepare-for-possible-north-korean-missile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/hawaii-reinstates-attack-warning-siren-to-prepare-for-possible-north-korean-missile.html","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii reinstates ‘attack warning’ siren to prepare for possible North Korean missile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hawaii reinstates ‘attack warning’ siren to prepare for possible North Korean missile<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Ted Tsukiyama still recalls how quickly life changed when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was quite traumatic and totally unexpected,\u201d said the 96-year-old World War II veteran, who was a student at the University of Hawaii at the time. \u201cThat morning the radio called for all University ROTC [Reserved Officers\u2019 Training Corps] to report to the university armory. We were issued rifles to help guard the city and our regiment was converted into the Hawaii Territorial Guard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sirens were installed around the city after the war started, Tsukiyama added, and there would be periodic tests. \u201cI remember hearing the sirens going off. The radio would give us a warning: \u2018This is only a test, don\u2019t get alarmed,\u2019\u201d said Tsukiyama, who was born and raised in Hawaii.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with other Nisei [second-generation Japanese Americans], he joined the Varsity Victory Volunteers and the U.S. Army\u2019s 442nd Regimental Combat Team, then was reassigned to the Military Intelligence Service in India and Burma. (One of the characters in the new movie, \u201cGo For Broke,\u201d is based on Tsukiyama\u2019s life and he also made a cameo appearance in the film.)<\/span><\/p>\n

These days, Tsukiyama says he isn\u2019t surprised the air raid warning sirens will be wailing again come December \u2014 only this time, it’s due to the rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea and because Hawaii has long been a military defense outpost.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose that\u2019s necessary as a precaution, but I don\u2019t think North Korea is gonna attack,\u201d Tsukiyama said. \u201cThey\u2019d be foolish to threaten South Korea or Japan or the United States.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But concerns are growing. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has repeatedly threatened to drop a bomb over the Pacific Ocean, and President Donald Trump has threatened North Korea with \u201cfire and fury\u201d and designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what is the probability of a North Korean missile striking Hawaii? According to Vern Miyagi, administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), which is part of the state\u2019s Department of Defense, the chances North Korea will act are unlikely, but making sure Hawaii is prepared is still vital.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf North Korea launches against us or our allies, the retaliation would be complete and they would defeat North Korea\u2019s ambition to continue its regime. The regime would probably end,\u201d explained Miyagi. He notes Hawaii is protected under the U.S. Pacific Command\u2019s defensive umbrella, the anti-ballistic missile system, and it is home to the Pacific Command, the military\u2019s headquarters for the Asia-Pacific region.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, Miyagi points out, \u201cHawaii is a likely target because we\u2019re closer to North Korea than most of the continental United States\u2026 As we track the news and see tests, both missile launches and nuclear tests, it\u2019s the elephant in the room. We can\u2019t ignore it. People of Hawaii need to know what Hawaii is doing in preparation for this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of the North Korean threat, the Aloha State is currently ramping up efforts to educate its 1.4 million residents, as well as its visitors, on how to prepare for a nuclear attack.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hawaii has become one of the first states in the nation to initiate a nuclear preparedness campaign, and starting Dec. 1, it will reinstate the \u201cattack warning\u201d siren, which it hasn\u2019t tested since the Cold War. The siren will follow the monthly \u201cattention alert\u201d signal, which warns people of an incoming tsunami or hurricane.<\/span><\/p>\n

The state has also been holding community meetings and broadcasting public service announcements on TV and the radio to prepare people for a possible attack.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, officials are encouraging people to have a plan. Gone are the days of \u201cduck and cover\u201d during the Cold War; today, the mantra is \u201cshelter in place,\u201d preferably in a concrete structure. Officials also recommend having enough food and water to survive for 48 hours, and being prepared with supplies to last up to 14 days.<\/span><\/p>\n

If North Korea launches a missile, officials estimate it could take about 20 minutes to reach Hawaii. It would take about five minutes for the U.S. to determine where it\u2019s going, which would leave about 12 to 15 minutes to warn the public.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEach individual, each family should have a plan to be resilient, so they can take care of themselves, while we focus on getting the critical infrastructure, the harbors, the water, the roads, all back to some sort of normalcy,\u201d said Miyagi, who\u2019s also a retired U.S. Army Major General and has extensive experience in domestic and international humanitarian assistance and disaster response.<\/span><\/p>\n

Officials are also advising everyone to stay updated on what\u2019s going on in North Korea, get more knowledgeable about nuclear affects, and learn what they can do to prepare for a nuclear strike.<\/span><\/p>\n

Based on a nuclear threat now, officials predict 80 to 90 percent of the population could survive.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would be remiss in not doing my responsibility, or our responsibility at Emergency Management to not consider this, and list this as one of the hazards and prepare for it. That\u2019s our job here, to prepare for hazards. If we save one life, it\u2019s worth it,\u201d Miyagi said. \u201cIf we save lives, that\u2019s the whole purpose of our existence, and we\u2019re very passionate about what we do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/asian-america\/hawaii-reinstates-attack-warning-siren-prepare-possible-north-korean-missile-n823821<\/span><\/p>\n

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