View source for Physics:2018 Hawaii false missile alert

{{short description|False alarm sent over all communications media in the U.S. state of Hawaii}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox event
| title = 2018 Hawaii false missile alert
| image = File:2018 Hawaii missile alert (cropped).jpg
| caption = A screenshot of the alert as displayed on an iOS device
| date = {{Start date|2018|1|13}}
| time = 08:08:23
| timezone = [[Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone|HST]]
| duration = 38 minutes
| location = Hawaii, United States
| type = [[False alarm]]
}}

On the morning of January 13, 2018, an alert was accidentally issued via the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert System over television, radio, and cellular networks in the U.S. state of Hawaii, instructing citizens to seek shelter due to an incoming [[Physics:Ballistic missile|ballistic missile]]. The message was sent at 8:08&nbsp;a.m. [[Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone|local time]] and the state had not authorized civil defense outdoor warning sirens to sound.

Occurring during the 2017–2018 North Korea crisis, the alert was widely interpreted as a nuclear attack launched from North Korea. In a subsequent survey, 28% of respondents initially believed the alert, 45% were unsure, and 27% did not believe it. Of all respondents, 27% did not check any other sources following the alert. Some residents, not hearing sirens or seeing widespread media coverage, discounted the alert. Others found apparent confirmation in their area's activated sirens and local TV stations that had received the alert. According to the study, "the urge to call loved ones interfered with the practical need to shelter", frantic driving was common, and the "broader social contract was, in that extreme situation, at least to some degree, put into abeyance in favor of the closest social sphere."<ref name=":3" />

38 minutes and 13 seconds later, state officials blamed a miscommunication during a drill at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency for the first message. Governor David Ige apologized for the erroneous alert. The Federal Communications Commission and the Hawaii House of Representatives launched investigations into the incident, leading to the resignation of the state's emergency management administrator.

==Background==
[[File:North_Korean_missile_range.svg|thumb|Estimated maximum range of some [[Korean People's Army Strategic Force|North Korean missiles]]<ref >{{Cite news
  |title=How potent are North Korea's threats?
  |date=15 September 2015
  |newspaper=BBC News Online
  |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21710644
}}</ref>]]
Escalating tensions between North Korea and the United States, including threats by both countries to use [[Engineering:Nuclear weapon|nuclear weapon]]s against one another, prompted a heightened state of readiness in Hawaii.<ref name="fisher011418">{{cite news |last=Fisher |first=Max |date=January 14, 2018 |title=Hawaii False Alarm Hints at Thin Line Between Mishap and Nuclear War |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/14/world/asia/hawaii-false-alarm-north-korea-nuclear.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103182904/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/14/world/asia/hawaii-false-alarm-north-korea-nuclear.html |archive-date=3 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="meza011318">{{cite news|title=Is Hawaii Prepared for North Korea Nuclear Attack? Island State Just 4,600 Miles From Rogue Nation|work=Newsweek|url=http://www.newsweek.com/how-did-hawaii-ballistic-missile-attack-alert-happen-780843|first=Summer|last=Meza|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref><ref name="gurney011418">{{cite news|url=http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/hawaiis-false-missile-alert-was-a-wake-up-call-for-a-complacent-world/|work=Maclean's|title=Hawaii's false missile alert was a wake-up call for a complacent world|first=Matt|last=Gurney|date=January 14, 2018|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> North Korea had conducted several [[Engineering:Intercontinental ballistic missile|intercontinental ballistic missile]] tests over the past year, most recently in November 2017,<ref>{{cite news |last=Jochum |first=Kateri |date=January 14, 2018 |title='Primal fear' as people across Hawaii get false alert of missile attack |work=WPVI-TV ABC 6 |agency= |url=http://6abc.com/hawaii-startled-by-false-alarm-of-imminent-missile-attack/2939992/ |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> enhancing its strike capabilities.<ref>{{cite news|title=Minutes to Live: When the Nuclear Push Alert is Not a Mistake|date=January 14, 2018|access-date=January 14, 2018|work=Esquire|first=Garrett|last=Graff|url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a15157970/america-nuclear-bomb-plan/}}</ref> It is possible that North Korea may have the capability to deliver nuclear missiles to Hawaii.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaleem |first1=Jaweed |date=10 November 2017 |title=As North Korean threat grows, Hawaii prepares for nuclear attack |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-hawaii-nuke-2017-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=14 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912183053/https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-hawaii-nuke-2017-story.html |archive-date=12 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/904378/World-War-3-North-Korea-Kim-Jong-un-Donald-Trump-Hawaii-nuclear-war-Pyongyang-David-Ige|work=Sunday Express|title=World War 3: Hawaii governor 'calls on Trump' to Confront North Korea to prevent crisis|first=Joseph|last=Carey|date=January 14, 2018|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> Hawaii is located roughly {{convert|4,600|miles}} from North Korea,<ref name="meza011318"/> and a missile launched from North Korea would leave approximately 12 to 15 minutes of warning time.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Caleb |date=18 January 2018 |title=After Hawaii false alarm, what is the federal government's responsibility in nuclear attack alerts? |work=PBS NewsHour |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/after-hawaii-false-alarm-what-is-the-federal-governments-responsibility-in-nuclear-attack-alerts |access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref>

Hawaii officials had been working for some time to refresh the state's emergency plans in case of a nuclear attack from North Korea.<ref name="meza011318"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Blair |first=Allyson |date=September 26, 2017 |title=Hawaii schools not prepared to shelter children in event of nuclear strike |work=Hawaii News Now |agency= |url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/36460330/hawaii-schools-not-prepared-to-shelter-children-in-event-of-nuclear-strike |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> An October 2017 email from the [[Organization:University of Hawaii|University of Hawaii]] to students with the subject line "In the event of a nuclear attack",<ref name="anderson101017">{{cite news |last=Anderson |first=Nick |date=October 10, 2017 |title='In the event of a nuclear attack': U-Hawaii's curious email to students and staff |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/10/10/in-the-event-of-a-nuclear-attack-u-hawaiis-curious-email-to-students-and-staff/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320165903/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/10/10/in-the-event-of-a-nuclear-attack-u-hawaiis-curious-email-to-students-and-staff/ |archive-date=20 March 2023}}</ref> containing instructions from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency on how to react in case of a nuclear attack,<ref name="nagaoka011318">{{cite news |last=Nagaoka |first=Ashley |date=January 13, 2018 |title=After missile alert mistake, UH students ran for cover and hid in classrooms |work=Hawaii News Now |agency= |url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37260525/after-missile-alert-mistake-uh-students-ran-for-cover-and-hid-in-classrooms |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> caused controversy;<ref name="anderson101017"/> a university spokesman ultimately apologized for "any needless concern it may have caused".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/university-hawaii-nuclear-attack-north-korea-681496|first=Julia|last=Glum|work=Newsweek|title=University of Hawaii Students Warned About Possible North Korea Nuclear Attack|date=October 10, 2017|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> Testing of the civil defense warning sirens and attack drills were also conducted in the state on the first business day of the month beginning in December 2017.<ref name="gurney011418"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.esubulletin.com/news/esu-professor-vacations-in-hawaii-during-false-ballistic-missile-alert/article_b88fc476-f8c2-11e7-b02c-8bbde84cf598.html|title=ESU Professor vacations in Hawaii during false ballistic missile alert|work=The Bulletin|first=Sarah|last=Spoon|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="garcia112717">{{cite news |last=Garcia |first=Marco |date=November 27, 2017 |title=Hawaii to resume Cold War-era nuclear siren tests amid North Korea threat |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-hawaii/hawaii-to-resume-cold-war-era-nuclear-siren-tests-amid-north-korea-threat-idUSKBN1DS099 |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref><ref name=NPRCivilDefenseSirenTests>{{cite news | last = Sullivan | first = Emily | title = Hawaii Initiates A New Monthly Test Of A Nuclear Siren | url = https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/02/568019908/hawaii-initiates-a-new-monthly-test-of-a-nuclear-siren | work = NPR | date = December 2, 2017 | access-date = January 31, 2018}}</ref> 

On December 1, 2017, a nuclear threat siren was tested in Hawaii for the first time in more than 30 years,<ref name="meza011318" /><ref name="NPRCivilDefenseSirenTests" /><ref name="tolan121617">{{cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/16/hawaii-is-preparing-for-a-north-korean-nuclear-attack-should-the-bay-area-follow-suit/|work=The Mercury News|title=Hawaii is preparing for a North Korean nuclear attack. Should the Bay Area follow suit?|date=January 16, 2017|access-date=January 30, 2017|first=Casey|last=Tolan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McAvoy |first1=Audrey |last2=Kelleher |first2=Jennifer |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Officials in Hawaii apologize for 'false alarm' missile warning |work=WHAM 13 |agency= |url=http://13wham.com/news/nation-world/hawaii-officials-mistakenly-warn-of-inbound-missile-01-13-2018-185755873 |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> the first of what state officials said would be monthly drills.<ref name="garcia112717" /><ref name="NPRCivilDefenseSirenTests" /><ref name="huffpost011318">{{cite news |last1=Boboltz |first1=Sara |last2=Russo |first2=Carla Herreria |last3=D'Angelo |first3=Chris |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Ballistic Missile Emergency Alert Mistakenly Sent To People In Hawaii |work=Huffington Post |agency= |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ballistic-missile-emergency-alert-mistakenly-sent-to-people-in-hawaii_us_5a5a4e73e4b03c41896616a1 |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> At 11:45&nbsp;a.m. on January 2, 2018, the state conducted its monthly test of the civil defense outdoor warning siren system including the sounding of a one-minute Attention Alert Signal (Steady Tone) followed by a one-minute Attack Warning Signal (Wailing Tone).<ref name="IgaAlertTest">{{cite news | last1 = Rapoza | first1 = Richard | last2 = Agbayani | first2 = Arlina | title = Media Advisory: Monthly Siren and Emergency Alert System Test for January 2, 2018 | url = https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/latest-news/media-advisory-monthly-siren-and-emergency-alert-system-test-for-january-2-2018/ | work = Governor Ige newsroom | location = Honolulu | date = December 29, 2017 | access-date = January 31, 2018}}</ref> There was no exercise or drill accompanying the test.<ref name="IgaAlertTest" /> Prior to January 13, 2018, 26 drills had been conducted.<ref>{{cite news | last = Schaefers | first = Allison | title = State agency disputes 'button pusher's' account | url = https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/02/06/hawaii-news/state-agency-disputes-button-pushers-account/ | newspaper = Star-Advertiser | location = Honolulu | date = February 6, 2018 | access-date = February 6, 2018}}</ref> Vern Miyagi, the administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, explained that state leaders "couldn't ignore these constant threats and missile tests from North Korea" and felt the need to prepare residents for the possibility of an attack. Officials also outlined what would happen if an emergency alert were sent: a push alert to [[Engineering:Smartphone|smartphone]]s and a message interrupting television and radio broadcasts.<ref name="tolan121617" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Moyer |first=Edward |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Hawaii missile alert on smartphones was false alarm |work=CNET |agency= |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/hawaii-missile-alert-false-alarm-emergency-notification/ |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>

Earlier in January 2018, U.S. Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai said the commission planned to vote to overhaul the wireless emergency alert system.<ref name="cowan011318">{{cite news|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-missiles-falsealarm/ballistic-missile-warning-sent-in-error-by-hawaii-authorities-idUSKBN1F20U1|first=Richard|last=Cowan|title=Ballistic missile warning sent in error by Hawaii authorities|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="mccausland011418">{{cite news |last=McCausland |first=Phil |date=January 14, 2018 |title=Hawaii false missile alert: FCC to open probe into mistaken warning |work=NBC News |agency= |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hawaii-false-missile-alert-fcc-open-probe-mistaken-warning-n837536 |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> The proposed reforms include providing more detailed information in alerts and confining emergency notifications to a more specific geographic area. Pai said he hoped the reforms, which would take effect if approved by the FCC, would lead to greater use of the alert system in local emergency situations and prompt people to take alerts they receive more seriously.<ref name="mccausland011418"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.recode.net/2018/1/8/16864564/fcc-pai-wireless-emergency-alerts-harvey-wildfire-reform|work=Recode|title=After Hurricane Harvey and the California wildfires, the FCC is aiming to upgrade the country's wireless alert system|first=Tony|last=Romm|date=January 8, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>

==Incident==
===The alert===
The alert was sent at 8:08&nbsp;a.m. Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last1=Ortiz |first1=Erik |last2=McCausland |first2=Phil |last3=Bailey |first3=Chelsea |date=13 January 2018 |title=Hawaii 'ballistic missile threat' alert to phones was false alarm, officials say |language=en |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hawaii-ballistic-missile-threat-alert-phones-was-false-alarm-officials-n837511 |access-date=14 January 2018}}</ref> People in Hawaii reported seeing the alert on their smartphones. Many screenshots of the push alert were shared on social media platforms, such as [[Company:Twitter|Twitter]].<ref name="david011318">{{cite news |last=David |first=Javier |date=January 13, 2018 |title=False alarm sends Hawaii scrambling amid report of a ballistic missile heading toward the island |work=CNBC |agency= |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/13/hawaii-cell-phone-users-hit-with-false-alarm-of-a-ballistic-missile-heading-toward-the-island.html |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="barr011318">{{cite news |last1=Barr |first1=Johanna |last2=Sanger |first2=David E. |last3=Nagourney |first3=Adam |author-link3=Adam Nagourney |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Hawaii Panics After Alert About Incoming Missile Is Sent in Error |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/us/hawaii-missile.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=January 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109162536/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/us/hawaii-missile.html |archive-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> The alert read, in all capital letters:<ref name="wang011318">{{cite news |last1=Wang |first1=Amy B. |last2=Lyte |first2=Brittany |date=January 13, 2018 |title='BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII,' the alert screamed. It was a false alarm. |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/01/13/hawaiians-get-ballistic-missile-threat-messages/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419214652/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/01/13/hawaii-residents-get-ballistic-missile-threat-messages/ |archive-date=19 April 2019}}</ref>

<blockquote>BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.</blockquote>

Local television broadcasts, including a college basketball game between Florida and Ole Miss being shown on CBS affiliate KGMB and a Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton on NBC affiliate KHNL, were also interrupted by a similar alert message, broadcast as a Civil Danger Warning.<ref name="burke011318">{{cite news |last=Burke |first=Timothy |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Hawaiians Watching Morning Sports Treated To Terrifying 'THIS IS NOT A DRILL' Missile Threat Alert [UPDATES] |url=https://deadspin.com/hawaiians-watching-morning-sports-treated-to-terrifying-1822055447 |access-date=January 13, 2018 |work=Deadspin}}</ref><ref name="jones011318">{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ballistic-missile-threat-inbound-not-11847094|work=Mirror|title='Ballistic missile threat inbound... this is not a drill' Panic in Hawaii over phone message sent in error|first=Stephen|last=Jones|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="joyce011318">{{cite news |last=Joyce |first=Kathleen |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Hawaii emergency officials say ballistic missile threat alert was a mistake |work=Fox News |agency= |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/hawaiis-false-missile-threat-worker-feels-terrible-after-pushing-the-wrong-button |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> The alert message on television broadcasts took the form of both an audio message and a scrolling banner. It stated in part:<ref name=":2">{{cite news |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Hawaii missile alert: False alarm warns residents of "ballistic missile threat" |work=CBS News |agency= |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hawaii-missile-alert-today-emergency-management-system-incoming-ballistic-missile-warning-error/ |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>

<blockquote>The U.S. Pacific Command has detected a missile threat to Hawaii. A missile may impact on land or sea within minutes. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. If you are indoors, stay indoors. If you are outdoors, seek immediate shelter in a building. Remain indoors well away from windows. If you are driving, pull safely to the side of the road and seek shelter in a building or lay on the floor. We will announce when the threat has ended. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Take immediate action measures.</blockquote>{{History of Hawaii}}
An alert message also interrupted radio broadcasts in the state.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/hawaii-false-ballistic-missile-threat-interrupts-soccer-game-on-tv-2018-1|work=Business Insider|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|title=Video shows the horrifying moment when a false ballistic missile threat alert interrupted a soccer game on TV in Hawaii|first=Brennan|last=Weiss}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://abc7.com/what-hawaiians-saw-on-tv-during-missile-scare/2939946/|agency=KABC-TV ABC 7|title=See the warning Hawaiians saw on TV during missile scare|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> In Lihue, a resident reported hearing a message on the radio advising of "an incoming missile warning for the islands of Kauai and Hawaii".<ref>{{cite news |last=Letman |first=Jon |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Terror in Paradise: I Got the Hawaii Missile Message and Prepared to Die |work=The Daily Beast |agency= |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/terror-in-paradise-i-braced-for-nuclear-impact-in-hawaii |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>

Culpability for the false alert was attributed to an employee at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, who officials said was a 10-year agency veteran<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/01/15/hawaii-worker-who-pushed-button-reassigned-after-bungled-missile-alert/1033421001/|work=USA Today|title=Hawaii worker who pushed button reassigned after bungled missile alert|first=John|last=Bacon|date=January 15, 2018|access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref> who had previously exhibited behavior that had troubled coworkers, according to ''The Washington Post''.<ref name="post013018">{{cite news |last1=Berman |first1=Mark |last2=Fung |first2=Brian |date=January 30, 2018 |title=Hawaii's false missile alert sent by troubled worker who thought an attack was imminent, officials say |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/01/30/heres-what-went-wrong-with-that-hawaii-missile-alert-the-fcc-says/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320165701/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/01/30/heres-what-went-wrong-with-that-hawaii-missile-alert-the-fcc-says/ |archive-date=20 March 2023}}</ref> Vern Miyagi, then-administrator of HI-EMA, said the alert had been inadvertently triggered by the employee as he was working at the Diamond Head Crater headquarters<ref name=SchaefersNoSafeguards/><ref name="Buzz">{{cite news |last1=Van Dyke |first1=Michelle Broder |last2=Mack |first2=David |last3=Jamieson |first3=Amber |date=January 13, 2018 |title=A False Alarm 'Ballistic Missile Threat' Message Was Sent To Hawaii Residents |work=BuzzFeed News |agency= |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mbvd/false-alarm-ballistic-missile-threat-hawaii?bftwnews |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> during a shift change.<ref name=SchaefersNoSafeguards>{{cite news | last = Schaefers | first = Allison | title = State had no safeguards to prevent nuclear scare, FCC says | url = https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/14/breaking-news/state-had-no-safeguards-to-prevent-nuclear-scare-fcc-says/ | work = Star-Advertiser | location = Honolulu | date = January 14, 2018 | access-date = January 18, 2018}}</ref> During the shift change, a supervisor ran an unscheduled drill<ref name="Buzz"/> in which he contacted emergency management workers in the guise of an officer from U.S. Pacific Command, according to state officials. The supervisor deviated from the script, officials said, erroneously stating at one point, "This is not a drill", although he reportedly did state before and after the message, "Exercise, exercise, exercise", agency code to indicate a test rather than an actual emergency.<ref name="kang013018">{{cite news |last=Kang |first=Cecilia |date=January 30, 2018 |title=Hawaii Missile Alert Wasn't Accidental, Officials Say, Blaming Worker |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/technology/fcc-hawaii-missile-alert.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=January 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107160525/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/technology/fcc-hawaii-missile-alert.html |archive-date=7 November 2020}}</ref>

Officials said that upon hearing the supervisor's statement, the employee, who had "confused real-life events and drills" at least twice before<ref name="post013018"/> believed there was an actual emergency, and he later attested to this in a written statement.<ref name="kang013018"/> In an interview with ''NBC News'', the employee shared that he was "100 percent sure that it was the right decision and that it was real". The man went on to state that he is not to blame for the incident, that overall it was a system failure, and that he did exactly what he was trained to do.<ref name=speaksout>{{Citation|title=Man Who Sent Hawaii False Missile Alert Speaks Out {{!}} NBC Nightly News| date=February 2, 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWNI6Vv65fQ|language=en|access-date=2019-09-25}}</ref> He clicked the button to send out an actual notification on Hawaii's emergency alert interface during what was intended to be a test of the state's ballistic missile preparations computer program<ref name=NinaWuJanuary16>{{cite news | last = Wu | first = Nina | title = State issues different image of screen leading to employee's false missile alert | url = https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/16/breaking-news/state-issues-different-image-of-screen-leading-to-employees-false-missile-alert/ | newspaper = Star-Advertiser | location = Honolulu | date = January 16, 2018 | access-date = January 17, 2018}}</ref><ref name=BMDFalseAlarm>{{cite web | last = Coldewey | first = Devin | title = Hawaii's emergency alert interface looks straight out of the '90s | url = https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/16/hawaiis-emergency-alert-interface-looks-straight-out-of-the-90s/ | work = TechCrunch | date = January 16, 2018 | access-date = January 17, 2018}}</ref>{{efn|The selection for ''PACOM (CDW) – STATE ONLY'' on the Hawaii emergency alert interface screen is nearby the selections for ''Amber Alert (CAE) Statewide'', ''Tsunami Warning (CEM) STATE ONLY'', ''Landslide – Hana Road Closure'', ''High Surf Warning North Shores'', and other tests.<ref name=BMDFalseAlarm/>}} and then clicked through a second screen, which had been intended as a safeguard, to confirm.<ref name="fox011318">{{cite news |last1=Darrah |first1=Nicole |last2=Joyce |first2=Kathleen |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Hawaii's scary false missile threat: Worker's push of the 'wrong button' to blame |work=Fox News |agency= |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/hawaiis-false-missile-threat-worker-feels-terrible-after-pushing-the-wrong-button |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":1" />{{efn|Hawaii is the only state in the United States with a pre-programmed Wireless Emergency Alert that can be sent quickly to wireless devices if a ballistic missile is heading toward Hawaii. If the missile is fired from North Korea, the missile would take approximately 20 minutes to reach Hawaii. PACOM would take less than 5 minutes to make a determination that the missile could impact Hawaii and would then notify the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA). HI-EMA would issue the Civil Defense Warning (CDW) that an inbound missile could impact Hawaii and that people should Shelter-in-Place: ''Get Inside, Stay Inside, and Stay Tuned''. People in Hawaii would have 12 to 15 minutes before impact. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is not required to be notified for approval to cancel an alert. Signal carriers allow people to block alerts from state and local law enforcement agencies, but not those issued by the President. FEMA can send alerts to targeted audiences but has not done so as of January 2018. Other states can take as long as 30 minutes to create, enter and distribute a missile alert.<ref name=HawaiiAlertWireless>{{cite news | title = Federal responsibility in nuclear attack alerts is unclear | url = https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/17/breaking-news/federal-responsibility-in-nuclear-attack-alerts-is-unclear/ | work = Star-Advertiser | location = Honolulu | agency = Associated Press | date = January 17, 2018 | access-date = January 18, 2018}}</ref><ref name=ShelterInPlace>{{cite news | last = Wu | first = Nina | title = State education department addresses missile scare | url = https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/17/breaking-news/state-education-department-addresses-missile-scare/ | newspaper = Star-Advertiser | location = Honolulu | date = January 17, 2018 | access-date = January 18, 2018}}</ref>}} 

An agency spokesman told ''The Washington Post'' that the employee was prompted to choose between the options "test missile alert" and "missile alert" and had selected the latter, initiating the alert sent out across the state.<ref name="wang011418">{{cite news |last=Wang |first=Amy B. |date=January 14, 2018 |title=Hawaii missile alert: How one employee 'pushed the wrong button' and caused a wave of panic |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/01/14/hawaii-missile-alert-how-one-employee-pushed-the-wrong-button-and-caused-a-wave-of-panic/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101092512/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/01/14/hawaii-missile-alert-how-one-employee-pushed-the-wrong-button-and-caused-a-wave-of-panic/ |archive-date=1 January 2023}}</ref> The employee later claimed to the Associated Press that he had not heard the "exercise" part of the phone call because a co-worker had placed it on speakerphone partway into the message, and as a result, he had been "100 percent sure" the attack was real.<ref name="kelleher020218">{{cite news |last=Sinco Kelleher |first=Jennifer |date=February 2, 2018 |title=Hawaii man says he's devastated about sending missile alert |work=ABC News |agency= |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hawaii-man-devastated-sending-missile-alert-52809261 |access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref> State officials said five other workers were present at the agency at the time and all of them recognized the phone call as an impromptu drill.<ref name="peterkin021318">{{cite news |last=Peterkin |first=Olivia |date=February 13, 2018 |title=It's been a month since Hawaii's false missile alert. Here's what's changed |work=Hawaii News Now |agency= |url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37496908/recap-whats-happened-in-the-month-since-the-false-missile-alert |access-date=February 14, 2018}}</ref> Since this incident, the employee responsible has received numerous death threats and has expressed his apologies on multiple occasions.<ref name="speaksout" />

===State response===
By 8:10&nbsp;a.m. HST, two minutes after the first alert, Hawaii National Guard Adjutant General Arthur "Joe" Logan had contacted U.S. Pacific Command and confirmed there had been no missile launch.<ref name=SchaefersNoSafeguards/> At that time, the Honolulu Police Department was notified that the alert had been a false alarm. Officials used the State Warning Point system at 8:13&nbsp;a.m. to cancel the alert, preventing it from being sent out to any phones that had not already received it, such as those that were switched off or did not have reception.<ref name="timeline">{{cite news|url=http://www.kitv.com/story/37260689/hawaii-emergency-officials-release-timeline-of-false-ballistic-missile-alert|title=Hawaii emergency officials release timeline of false ballistic missile alert|agency=KITV 4|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|archive-date=September 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911155642/https://www.kitv.com/story/37260689/hawaii-emergency-officials-release-timeline-of-false-ballistic-missile-alert|url-status=dead}}</ref> The employee who originally sent out the erroneous notification did not respond when directed to cancel the alert, according to state officials.<ref name="kang013018"/> He later said he felt like he had been dealt a "body blow" upon realizing the supposed attack had been a drill, the Associated Press reported.<ref name="kelleher020218"/> Another unidentified worker grabbed the employee's computer mouse and canceled the alert when the first employee failed to respond.<ref name="peterkin021318"/>

Official messages refuting the emergency alert were not sent out until 8:20&nbsp;a.m., according to the timeline released by officials after the incident. Hawaii Emergency Management Agency accounts on [[Company:Facebook|Facebook]] and [[Company:Twitter|Twitter]] posted messages at that time urging people to disregard the erroneous alert. Minutes later, Governor David Ige retweeted the HI-EMA message on Twitter and posted a similar message on Facebook to notify followers that the alert had been canceled.<ref name="timeline"/> Ige later said the delay was caused in part by the fact he did not know his Twitter login information.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/22/breaking-news/after-false-missile-alarm-ige-couldnt-log-on-to-twitter/|work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|title=After false missile alarm, Ige couldn't log on to Twitter|date=January 22, 2018|access-date=January 30, 2018|first=Kevin|last=Dayton}}</ref> An email from the state was also sent at about 8:25&nbsp;a.m. advising that the initial alert was not correct, the ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser'' reported.<ref name="hsa011318">{{cite news|title='Wrong button' sends out false missile alert|url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/13/breaking-news/emergency-officials-mistakenly-send-out-missile-threat-alert/|work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>

Electronic highway signs were also used to spread the word that the alert had been issued "in error" and that there was no threat to Hawaii.<ref name="fox011418">{{cite news |last1=Darrah |first1=Nicole |last2=Joyce |first2=Kathleen |date=January 14, 2018 |title=Hawaii's false missile threat: Worker 'feels terrible' after pushing the wrong button |work=Fox News |agency= |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/hawaiis-false-missile-threat-worker-feels-terrible-after-pushing-the-wrong-button/ |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref>

====Second alert====
At 8:45&nbsp;a.m. HST, 38 minutes after the initial alert was sent to smartphones in Hawaii,<ref name="barr011318"/> a second emergency alert was sent, which stated:<ref name="bowden011318">{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/368902-nearly-40-minutes-elapse-between-hawaii-missile-report-and-false-alarm/|work=The Hill|first=John|last=Bowden|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|title=38 minutes elapse between Hawaii missile alert and false alarm announcement}}</ref>

<blockquote>There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.</blockquote>

The second alert was sent "well after everyone from Hawaii's congressional delegation to the U.S. Pacific Command had assured the world on Twitter that it was a false alarm", ''Pacific Business News'' remarked.<ref name="magin011318">{{cite news|title=Hawaii officials take 38 minutes to cancel false incoming ballistic alert|work=Pacific Business News|first=Janis|last=Magin|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2018/01/13/hawaii-officials-take-38-minutes-to-cancel-false.html}}</ref>

Governor David Ige explained at a news conference that afternoon that officials "had to initiate a manual process" and obtain authorization from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to send the second alert because there was no automated way to countermand the first alert.<ref name=":1" /> Those procedures accounted for the delay more than 30 minutes after officials had confirmed internally that the alert was inaccurate, according to officials.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="timeline"/>

===Effects===
During the 38 minutes between the first and second alerts, Hawaii's siren warning system—which had been tested as part of a missile preparedness exercise the previous month for the first time since the [[History:Cold War|Cold War]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Kelkar |first=Kamala |date=December 2, 2017 |title=Hawaii sounds first nuclear warning siren since Cold War |work=PBS NewsHour |agency= |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/hawaii-sounds-first-nuclear-warning-siren-since-cold-war |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>—was not formally activated.<ref name="magin011318"/><ref name="oregonlive011318">{{cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2018/01/hawaii_officials_mistakenly_wa.html|work=The Oregonian|title=Hawaii officials mistakenly warn islanders of inbound missile|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> Had a missile actually been launched, the Hawaii push alert should have been followed up with another set of alarms with sirens, which did not happen, as observed by some residents.<ref name="civildefense">{{Cite web |title=Breaking down the false alarm Hawaii missile threat |url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/breaking-down-the-false-alarm-hawaii-missile-threat-1136479811623 |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=MSNBC |language=en}}</ref> Nevertheless, officials stated that some sirens did appear to go off in some communities, with some residents reporting sirens activated on Oahu a few minutes after the push notification.<ref name="voa011418">{{cite news |date=January 14, 2018 |title=US Homeland Security Chief Vows to Correct Hawaii's Missile Alert System |work=Voice of America |agency= |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/us-homeland-security-hawaii-arlert/4207278.html |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Little to no activity was reported at military bases in the state.<ref name="magin011318"/> Some commercial flights were reportedly delayed for a short time, although the Hawaii Department of Transportation said there were no widespread impacts at the state's airports and harbors.<ref name="khon011318">{{cite news|url=http://khon2.com/2018/01/13/missile-threat-text-alert-was-an-error-no-threat-to-hawaii/|agency=KHON 2|title=Missile threat text alert sent in error after employee pushed wrong button|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|archive-date=March 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307163504/http://khon2.com/2018/01/13/missile-threat-text-alert-was-an-error-no-threat-to-hawaii/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Disruptions were reported across the state. ''Honolulu Civil Beat'' reported that motorists parked inside the Interstate H-3 tunnel on the island of Oahu for shelter.<ref name="grulbe011318">{{cite news|url=http://www.civilbeat.org/2018/01/false-missile-threat-mistakenly-triggered-as-part-of-internal-drill/|work=Honolulu Civil Beat|title=False Missile Threat Mistakenly Triggered As Part Of Internal Drill|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|first=Nick|last=Grulbe}}</ref> Hawaii News Now reported that alarms sounded at Aloha Gymfest, an international gymnastics meet in Kailua, sending hundreds of people running for cover.<ref name="hnn011318">{{cite news |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Terror. Fear. Alarm. For 38 minutes, Hawaii thought it was under attack |work=Hawaii News Now |agency= |url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37259815/biggest-fright-of-my-life-many-scramble-for-shelter-after-false-alarm-missile-warning |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="kgg011418">{{cite news|url=http://kokokahigymnastics.com/index.php?componentName=Teams&scid=92631/|title=Kokokahi Gymnastics Team|access-date=January 14, 2018|archive-date=January 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115001307/http://kokokahigymnastics.com/index.php?componentName=Teams&scid=92631/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Students at the [[Organization:University of Hawaii at Manoa|University of Hawaii at Manoa]] reportedly headed for marked fallout shelters on campus but, finding them locked, ended up taking shelter in nearby classrooms instead.<ref name="nagaoka011318"/> Officials at the Sony Open PGA Tour golf tournament on Oahu ordered an evacuation of the media center, while staff members sought cover in the kitchen and players' locker room.<ref name="lat011318">{{cite news |last1=Kohli |first1=Sonali |last2=Ottey |first2=Michael A.W. |last3=Chang |first3=Heidi |date=January 13, 2018 |title=False alert of missile attack sparks panic in Hawaii |work=Los Angeles Times |url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-hawaii-missile-alert-20180113-story.html |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> Tourists at Kualoa Ranch in Kaneohe were taken by staff up to Battery Cooper Bunker, a concrete bunker built in the mountains during WW2 as part of former Kualoa Airfield, and told to shelter there.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mendoza |first=Jim |date=January 19, 2018 |title=At Kualoa Ranch, a real WWII-era bunker came in pretty handy this weekend |url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37298090/at-kualoa-ranch-after-bogus-missile-alert-workers-shuttled-visitors-to-an-actual-bunker |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119023623/http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37298090/at-kualoa-ranch-after-bogus-missile-alert-workers-shuttled-visitors-to-an-actual-bunker |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |access-date=2021-08-20 |website=Hawaii News Now |language=en}}</ref><ref name="barr011318" /> 

Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa later said her husband had been driving on a Honolulu-area freeway and saw cars speeding at up to {{convert|100|mph}} after the alert was sent out.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kitv.com/story/37260419/hanabusa-criticizes-governor-for-delay-in-letting-the-public-know-about-false-alarm|title=Hanabusa criticizes governor for delay in letting the public know about false alarm|agency=KITV 4|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109034917/https://www.kitv.com/story/37260419/hanabusa-criticizes-governor-for-delay-in-letting-the-public-know-about-false-alarm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hanabusa, who challenged Ige in the Democratic primary in the 2018 gubernatorial election held later that year, criticized Ige's conduct, arguing "The governor and his administration did not handle this correctly".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nagourney |first=Adam |date=2018-01-15 |title=False Missile Alert Looms as a Black Eye for Hawaii and Its Governor (Published 2018) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/14/us/hawaii-false-alarm-governor.html |access-date=2025-08-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en}}</ref>

Many Hawaii residents and visitors sought shelter or rushed through emergency preparations where they were.<ref name="huffpost011318" /><ref name="hnn011318" /><ref name="herald011418">{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11974802|work=New Zealand Herald|title=Panic in Hawaii as Civil Defense accidentally issues alert for 'inbound ballistic missile threat'|date=January 14, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Andone |first=Dakin |date=January 13, 2017 |title=From paradise to panic: Hawaii residents and vacationers react to the false alarm |work=CNN |agency= |url=http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/13/us/hawaii-false-alarm-react/index.html |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> Some discounted the alarm when they realized that they heard no sirens, and that they personally saw no immediate coverage on television or local radio.<ref name="oregonlive011318" /><ref name="wang011318" /> Others were in areas where sirens did go off; in addition, some television stations did broadcast the alert.<ref name="cbs">{{cite news |date=13 January 2018 |title=Hawaii missile alert: False alarm warns residents of 'ballistic missile threat' |language=en |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hawaii-missile-alert-emergency-management-system-false-ballistic-missile-warning-2018-1-13/ |access-date=22 January 2018}}</ref>

The incident also created a strain on Hawaii's telephone system. Civil Defense offices in Hawaii were inundated with calls from frightened citizens asking for advice or more information, the ''New Zealand Herald'' reported.<ref name="herald011418"/> Many calls to 911 would not go through.<ref name="huffpost011318"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.eturbonews.com/175118/ballistic-missile-threat-inbound-hawaii-take-immediate-shelter-50-minute-panic-tourists-residents|agency=eTurboNews|title=Ballistic missile threat inbound for Hawaii – take immediate shelter! A 50-minute panic for tourists and residents|first=Juergen|last=Steinmetz|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> Many wireless data services were likewise initially jammed, leaving many unable to access the Internet to confirm whether the alarm was real.<ref>{{cite news|title=How Hawaii reacted to false missile alert|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42675666|access-date=14 January 2018|work=BBC News|date=2018}}</ref> Some residents called friends or family members to say goodbye.<ref name="oregonlive011318"/><ref name="hnn011318"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/01/pandemonium-and-rage-in-hawaii/550529/|work=The Atlantic|title=Pandemonium and Rage in Hawaii|first=Alia|last=Wong|date=January 14, 2018|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> Others remained where they were, as with Mark Gardner, who, believing that escape was impossible, recorded a final message to his family in anticipation of the missile striking its target.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hawaiian man prepares to live final minutes on golf course after rumored missile launch |url=https://golf.com/news/hawaiian-man-prepares-to-live-final-minutes-on-golf-course-after-rumored-missile-launch/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=Golf |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=deCourcy |first=Michael |date=14 January 2018 |title=Watch: Hawaiian man decides to keep golfing during ballistic missile threat |url=https://www.thescore.com/pga/news/1466985 |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=theScore.com |language=en}}</ref>

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis reported that the false alert did not appear to have prompted any sort of reaction from the North Korean government.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nichols |first=Hans |date=January 15, 2018 |title=North Korea didn't react to false Hawaii missile alert, Mattis says |work=NBC News |agency= |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/north-korea-didn-t-react-false-hawaii-missile-alert-mattis-n837876 |access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref>

One man suffered a heart attack minutes after saying what he thought were his last goodbyes to his children following the initial alert, though he survived the heart attack.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Consillo |first1=Kristen |title=Man who suffered heart attack during Hawaii missile alert sues state |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/11/27/breaking-news/man-who-suffered-heart-attack-during-false-missile-alert-sues-state/ |website=Honolulu Star Advertiser |access-date=11 March 2019|date=2018-11-28}}</ref>

The event was examined in an academic article by Richard Ling and Brett Oppegaard. The analysis interviewed 418 people and showed how information (and false information) can propagate quickly in society.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Ling |first1=Rich |last2=Oppegaard |first2=Brett |date=2021 |title=THIS IS NOT A DRILL: Mobile Telephony, Information Verification, and Expressive Communication During Hawaii's False Missile Alert |journal=Social Media + Society |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=205630512199966 |doi=10.1177/2056305121999661 |issn=2056-3051|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Responses==
Fear and panic quickly spread through the locals and tourists of Hawaii. Many [[Company:Twitter|Twitter]] posts and screenshots of text messages shared on social media in the immediate wake of the first alert conveyed confusion, alarm, and fear among those who received the warning.{{refn|<ref name="barr011318"/><ref name="jones011318"/><ref name="wood011318">{{cite news|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/904303/Hawaii-ballistic-missile-threat-warning-drill-launch-attack-USA|title=Hawaii False Alert: Chilling ballistic missile warning issued to residents in Error|last=Wood|first=Vincent|date=January 13, 2018|work=Express|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="von quednow011318">{{cite news|url=http://ktla.com/2018/01/13/hawaii-issues-missile-warning-in-error-sending-panic-on-social-media/|agency=KTLA 5|title=Hawaii Issues Missile Warning in Error, Sending Panic on Social Media|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|first=Cindy|last=Von Quednow}}</ref><ref name="politi011318">{{cite news|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/01/false-emergency-alert-of-incoming-ballistic-missile-attack-rattles-hawaii.html|work=Slate|title=False Emergency Alert of Incoming Ballistic Missile Attack Rattles Hawaii|date=January 13, 2018|access-date=January 13, 2018|first=Daniel|last=Politi}}</ref>}} With very little warning and instructions, many people were unsure of what to do. This later became a major criticism of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and is a key issue they are working on to improve, which will ensure that people can receive more accurate information in the case of a real emergency.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Karl |first1=Kristyn |last2=Lytle |first2=Ashley |date=2019-01-10 |title=This is not a drill: Lessons from the false Hawaiian missile alert |url=https://thebulletin.org/2019/01/this-is-not-a-drill-lessons-from-the-false-hawaiian-missile-alert/ |access-date=2019-09-25 |website=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Federal officials===
{{Tweet
| name = Tulsi Gabbard 🌺
| username = TulsiGabbard
| image = Tulsi Gabbard, official portrait, 113th Congress (cropped 2).jpg
| lang = en
| text = HAWAII - THIS IS A FALSE ALARM. THERE IS NO INCOMING MISSILE TO HAWAII. I HAVE CONFIRMED WITH OFFICIALS THERE IS NO INCOMING MISSILE.
| date = January 13, 2018
| ID = 952243723525677056
| reference = 
| archive-url = 
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Members of Hawaii's congressional delegation also took to Twitter to dispel the false alarm. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard tweeted at 8:19&nbsp;a.m. HST, about 12 minutes after the initial alert was sent, stating in all capitals that the message was a "false alarm" and that she had confirmed with officials that there was no incoming ballistic missile toward Hawaii.<ref name="david011318"/> The next day, she told CNN that the incident highlighted the need for President Donald Trump to negotiate with North Korean leader [[Biography:Kim Jong-un|Kim Jong-un]] to resolve nuclear tensions between the United States and North Korea, and she called for those responsible for the erroneous alert in Hawaii "to be held accountable".<ref>{{cite news |last=Watkins |first=Eli |date=January 14, 2018 |title=Gabbard: 'Unacceptable' false alarm missile warning in Hawaii underscores need for talks with North Korea |work=CNN |agency= |url=http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/14/politics/tulsi-gabbard-hawaii-cnntv/index.html |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, a 2018 candidate for governor, tweeted that the "panic and fear created by this false alarm was very dangerous".<ref name="magin011318"/> In further comments, Hanabusa panned the delay between the two emergency alerts, suggesting it should not have taken 38 minutes for the second message to be sent.<ref name="hnn2011318">{{cite news |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Lawmakers demand answers on false missile alarm — and state's response |work=Hawaii News Now |agency= |url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37260017/lawmakers-demand-answers-on-states-response-to-false-missile-threat |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> Senator Mazie Hirono tweeted that officials "need to get to the bottom of what happened and make sure it never happens again".<ref name="cohen011318">{{cite news |last=Cohen |first=Zachary |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Missile threat alert for Hawaii a false alarm |work=CNN |agency= |url=http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/13/politics/hawaii-missile-threat-false-alarm/index.html |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> In his own tweets immediately after the incident, Senator Brian Schatz repeated that the first alert had been a false alarm. He described the erroneous alert message as "totally inexcusable", adding:<ref name="joyce011318"/> "The whole state was terrified. There needs to be tough and quick accountability and a fixed process."

Commander David Benham, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Command, confirmed to media that there was no imminent missile threat to Hawaii.<ref name="cohen011318"/> A spokesman for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) stated that "NORAD did not see anything that indicated any sort of threat to Hawaii" and said NORAD and U.S. Northern Command were still verifying what had happened.<ref name="lat011318"/> President Trump had also been under fire by critics for his "lack of response" some said.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-01-14 |title=Hawaii in shock after false missile alert |language=en-GB |work=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42680070 |access-date=2019-09-25}}</ref> A White House official said the alert had been part of "a state exercise" and President Trump was briefed on the situation.<ref name="cohen011318"/><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Baynes |first1=Chris |last2=Buncombe |first2=Andrew |date=2018-01-13 |title=Hawaiians were sent an 'inbound ballistic missile' alert by mistake |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hawaii-ballistic-missile-not-drill-false-alarm-text-message-tulsi-gabbard-mistake-a8157971.html |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Trump ordered National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster to take charge of the administration's response to the incident.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Eliana |date=January 13, 2018 |title=White House scrambles after false missile warning in Hawaii |work=Politico |agency= |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/13/hawaii-missile-warning-white-house-339520 |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> About the incident, Trump said, "They made a mistake."<ref>{{cite news | last = Ruiz | first = Joe | title = Trump on Hawaii false missile alert: 'They made a mistake' | url = https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/14/politics/trump-hawaii-comments/index.html | work = CNN | date = January 14, 2018 | access-date = January 17, 2018}}</ref>

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the incident was "unfortunate" and officials were working to prevent a similar false alert from being issued in the future.<ref name="voa011418"/> Speaking on Fox News the next day, she said people "can trust government systems" and should pay attention to any alerts they receive from authorities in the future, in spite of the January 13 incident in Hawaii.<ref name="afp011418">{{cite news|url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/us-official-defends-early-warning-systems-after-hawaii-failure-doc-wj4d66|agency=Agence France Presse|date=January 14, 2018|access-date=January 14, 2018|title=US official defends early-warning systems after Hawaii 'failure'}}</ref>

Ajit Pai, chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, announced the commission would launch a full investigation into the false alert.<ref name="cowan011318"/><ref name="mccausland011418"/><ref>{{cite news |date=January 13, 2018 |title=Hawaii alert: False missile alarm sparks panic |work=BBC News |agency= |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42677604 |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> He blamed Hawaii's government for not having "reasonable safeguards or process controls in place to prevent the transmission of a false alert",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/14/hawaii-false-alarm-pai-fcc-340438|work=POLITICO|title=Hawaii to blame for false alarm, FCC chief suggests|first=John|last=Hendel|date=January 14, 2018|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> later stating that other agencies should "learn from these mistakes".<ref name="post013018"/>

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard stated in an interview after the second emergency alert was sent that the incident was "a taste of the stark reality of what we face here of a potential nuclear strike on Hawaii", referring to the possibility of a North Korean attack.<ref name="bowden011318"/> She and former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry both said the false alert highlighted the possibility of an "accidental nuclear war", in which a technical or human error leads to the use of nuclear weapons due to a misunderstanding or misinterpretation.<ref name="fisher011418"/><ref name="afp011418"/>

===State officials===
[[File:Governor David Ige.jpg|thumb|David Ige, who served as Governor of Hawaii at the time of the incident]]
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell also tweeted that the message had been a false alarm, saying the message had been sent in error before the second alert was sent out by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.<ref name="von quednow011318"/>

HI-EMA administrator Vern Miyagi took responsibility for the incident,<ref name="magin011318"/> ultimately resigning over it.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/30/breaking-news/ige-to-announce-results-of-false-missile-alert-investigation/|work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|title=HI-EMA's Miyagi resigns, 'button pusher' fired in aftermath of false missile alert|date=January 30, 2018|access-date=January 30, 2018}}</ref> Miyagi described the initial warning as a "mistake",<ref name="cohen011318"/> saying it "should have been caught" before the alert was sent out.<ref name="cowan011318"/> HI-EMA officials, including Miyagi, said there was no evidence that the agency's systems had been [[Cybercrime|hacked]] to send the false emergency message.<ref name="barr011318" />

Miyagi apologized for the false alert, as did Governor David Ige, who called the incident "unfortunate and regrettable". They said officials would review the state's procedures to prevent it from happening again.<ref name="cowan011318"/> Ige said:<ref name="timeline"/>

<blockquote>I know first-hand how today's false alarm affected all of us here in Hawaii, and I am sorry for the pain and confusion it caused. I, too, am extremely upset about this and am doing everything I can do to immediately improve our emergency management systems, procedures and staffing.</blockquote>

Hawaii Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English said he was "outraged" by the error, which caused unnecessary "panic and pandemonium" throughout the state.<ref name="hnn2011318"/> Hawaii House of Representatives Speaker Scott K. Saiki announced the House would investigate the incident:<ref name="hsa011318"/>

<blockquote>This system we have been told to rely upon failed and failed miserably today. I am deeply troubled by this misstep that could have had dire consequences. Measures must be taken to avoid further incidents that caused wholesale alarm and chaos today. Clearly, government agencies are not prepared and lack the capacity to deal with emergency situations. Apparently, the wrong button was pushed and it took over 30 minutes for a correction to be announced. Parents and children panicked during those 30 minutes. The Hawaii House of Representatives will immediately investigate what happened and there be consequences. This cannot happen again.</blockquote>

The deputy adjutant of the Hawaii National Guard said that notwithstanding the erroneous alert, people should continue to follow instructions and take shelter if another alert is sent in the future.<ref name="khon011318"/>

==Aftermath==
===Investigations===
[[File:U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Bruce E. Oliveira, left, the commander of Hawaii Army National Guard; U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Darryll D.M. Wong, the adjutant general of Hawaii, and Indonesian Brig. Gen. AM Putranto 140901-A-VC646-414.jpg|thumb|Former [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] Brig. Gen. Bruce E. Oliveira (left) was tasked by the State of Hawaii to lead an internal investigation into the incident.]]
State officials held a news conference in the afternoon of January 13 to address the incident.<ref name="fox011318"/> State officials placed former Hawaii Army National Guard commander Bruce E. Oliveira in charge of internally investigating the events that resulted in the false alert being sent out. In his report, published January 30, Oliveira faulted "insufficient management controls, poor computer software design, and human factors" for the incident.<ref name="post013018"/>

Officials did not name the employee responsible for the error.<ref name="kang013018"/> Hawaii Emergency Management Agency head Vern Miyagi initially declined to say whether the employee, who he said felt "terrible" about the false alert, would face discipline.<ref name="fox011418"/> An agency spokesman said January 14 the employee had been "temporarily reassigned" to a position that did not allow him access to the emergency warning system, pending the result of the internal investigation.<ref name="wang011418"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://time.com/5103320/hawaii-missile-test-worker-reassigned/|magazine=TIME|title=The Person Who Sent Hawaii's False Missile Alert Has Been Reassigned|first=Mahita|last=Gajanan|date=January 15, 2018|access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref> The employee was ultimately fired on January 26, following findings in Oliveira's investigation regarding his work history,<ref name="post013018"/><ref name="kelleher020218"/> with NBC News reporting that the employee had "a history of confusing drill and real-world events".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Silva |first=Daniella |date=31 January 2018 |title=Worker who sent Hawaii missile false alarm believed threat was real |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/worker-who-sent-hawaii-missile-false-alarm-believed-threat-was-n842666 |access-date=2021-05-17 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> A second employee, who was also not identified and whose role in the incident was not disclosed, was suspended without pay.<ref name="kelleher020218"/> Toby Clairmont, HI-EMA's executive officer, announced January 20 he planned to retire by the end of the year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/22/breaking-news/hi-ema-executive-officer-clairmont-retiring-this-year/|work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|title=HI-EMA executive officer Clairmont retiring this year|first=Kristen|last=Consillio|date=January 22, 2018|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref>

The Federal Communications Commission also announced that it would conduct a full investigation into the incident.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=January 13, 2018 |title=FCC says launching full inquiry into false Hawaii missile alert |work=Reuters |publisher= |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-missiles-falsealarm-fcc/fcc-says-launching-full-inquiry-into-false-hawaii-missile-alert-idUSKBN1F20V8 |access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> On January 25, an FCC official announced that the former employee responsible for sending the false report was refusing to cooperate with the FCC probe of the incident.<ref>{{cite news |last=McCabe |first=David |date=January 25, 2018 |title=Staffer behind Hawaii false alert isn't cooperating with FCC probe |work=Axios |agency= |url=https://www.axios.com/employee-behind-hawaii-alert-isnt-cooperating-with-1516900119-d903360f-26b0-4190-8f22-a6bb81152726.html |access-date=January 25, 2018}}</ref> The FCC report, released January 30, faulted the state for failing to quickly notify the public and not having safeguards in place sufficient to prevent the error.<ref>{{cite news |last=McGill |first=Margaret Harding |date=January 30, 2018 |title=FCC: Official who sent false Hawaii missile alert believed it was real |work=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/30/fcc-hawaii-missile-alert-377272 |access-date=January 30, 2018}}</ref> FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stated:<ref name="post013018"/>

<blockquote>Every state and local government that originates alerts needs to learn from these mistakes. Each should make sure they have adequate safeguards in place.{{Nbsp}}… The public needs to be able to trust that when the government issues an alert it is indeed a credible alert.</blockquote>

Miyagi resigned as HI-EMA administrator the same day the state and federal reports were released.<ref name="kang013018"/> Clairmont announced his resignation a day later.<ref name="kelleher020218"/>

===Other official actions===
Then-administrator Vern Miyagi said the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency suspended tests while assessing what had happened following the incident. He also announced the agency immediately changed its procedures to require two people, instead of just one, to send out both test alerts and actual alerts.<ref name="fox011318"/> HI-EMA employees will be "counseled and drilled so this never happens again", Miyagi said January 14.<ref name="fox011418"/>

Governor David Ige announced January 15 that he was appointing Brigadier General Kenneth Hara, Hawaii's deputy adjutant general, to oversee a review of the state's emergency management systems and procedures and implement reforms.<ref name="hnn011518">{{cite news |date=January 15, 2018 |title=Ige: False missile alert won't happen again; 'you have my promise' |work=Hawaii News Now |agency= |url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37270842/in-address-to-state-governor-to-pledge-fixes-to-states-alert-system |access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref> The agency also moved quickly to implement a cancellation command that officials said can be triggered within seconds of an erroneous alert being sent out, which it reportedly lacked before the January 13 incident.<ref name="timeline"/> The Hawaii emergency alert interface screen was updated with a ''BMD False Alarm'' selection the same day, addressing a system deficiency that made it difficult for the state to countermand an alert sent in error.<ref name=NinaWuJanuary16/><ref name=BMDFalseAlarm/>

HI-EMA reported that some of its employees received death threats after the false alert incident. In a rare public address, Ige called the threats "completely unacceptable" and said he was "ultimately responsible" for the error.<ref name="hnn011518"/>

Although Governor Ige's office issued on February 27, 2018, a ''Siren and Emergency Alert System Test'' for March 1, 2018,<ref name=IgaAlertTestMarch>{{cite news | last1 = Rapoza | first1 = Richard | last2 = Agbayani | first2 = Arlina | title = Siren and Emergency Alert System Test March 1, 2018 | url = https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/latest-news/siren-and-emergency-alert-system-test-march-1-2018/ | work = Governor Ige newsroom | location = Honolulu | date = February 27, 2018 | access-date = March 5, 2018}}</ref> the state of Hawaii did not test the nuclear warning siren in March and dropped its monthly test of the nuclear warning siren beginning on March 1, 2018.<ref>{{cite news | last = Shapiro | first = David | title = Caution in order for nuclear alert plan | url = https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/03/04/hawaii-news/fl-ash-back/caution-in-order-for-nuclear-alert-plan/ | newspaper = Star-Advertiser | location = Honolulu | date = March 4, 2018 | access-date = March 5, 2018}}</ref>

In July 2018, the FCC issued a report and order which makes changes to EAS regulations to "improve the integrity, efficacy, and reliability" of the system and "minimize the potential for false alerts". The changes require EAS participants to configure their hardware to "reject [[Common Alerting Protocol]]-based alerts that contain an invalid digital signature and legacy (over-the-air)-based alerts whose expiration time falls outside of specific time limits", and report any false alarms to the FCC. The commission also implemented procedures for authorizing voluntary participation in "live code" tests—public exercises that simulate an actual emergency in order to "promote greater proficiency" in the system by EAS operators and participants. These changes were the result of recommendations from the FCC's report on the Hawaii incident.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carman |first=Ashley |date=2018-07-13 |title=The FCC is changing up the country's emergency alert system to prevent another Hawaii incident |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/12/17565810/fcc-emergency-alert-system-test-psa |access-date=2018-07-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-352524A1.pdf|title=FCC PROMOTES EMERGENCY ALERT RELIABILITY|date=July 12, 2018|publisher=FCC|access-date=July 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-351865A1.pdf|title=Fact Sheet: Amendment of Part 11 of the Commission's Rules Regarding the Emergency Alert System|date=June 21, 2018|publisher=FCC|access-date=July 13, 2018}}</ref>

===Outside Hawaii===
North Korea's ''Rodong Sinmun'', the Workers' Party of Korea newspaper, described the false alarm as a "tragicomedy".<ref>{{cite news |title=North Korea mocks Trump, calls Hawaii's false alarm a 'tragicomedy' |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/16/breaking-news/north-korea-scoffs-at-trumps-nuclear-button-tweet/ |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]] |agency=Associated Press and ''New York Times'' |date=January 16, 2018 |access-date=2022-04-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118031359/https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/16/breaking-news/north-korea-scoffs-at-trumps-nuclear-button-tweet/ |archive-date=2021-11-18}}</ref>

An official with the Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management in the U.S. state of [[Earth:Alaska|Alaska]], also within the theoretical range of North Korean nuclear missiles, said his department encourages Alaskans to [[Social:Shelter in place|shelter in place]] rather than trying to get elsewhere if there is an attack, as many people in Hawaii did after the false alert was issued.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 14, 2018 |title=Alaska taking different tack from Hawaii on missile alerts |publisher=KTVA |url=http://www.ktva.com/story/37261774/alaska-taking-different-tack-from-hawaii-on-missile-alerts |url-status=dead |access-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114083826/http://www.ktva.com/story/37261774/alaska-taking-different-tack-from-hawaii-on-missile-alerts }}</ref>

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, one of Hawaii's two members of the United States Senate, introduced federal legislation that would prohibit state and local agencies from notifying the public of a missile launch, placing the responsibility on federal authorities to make that determination.<ref name="peterkin021318"/> In July 2018, Schatz also introduced the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act, which proposed that a reporting system be established for false alarms, that FEMA establish best practices on use of emergency alerts and preventing dissemination of false alarms, and that State Emergency Communications Committees (SECCs) be required to update their procedures on a periodic basis. The act also proposed user-visible changes to EAS behavior, including requiring that users be prevented from opting out of wireless alerts originating from FEMA, mandating repetition of EAS broadcasts for active FEMA or presidential alerts, and compelling the FCC to investigate the feasibility of delivering emergency alerts via [[Over-the-top media service|over-the-top]] [[Engineering:Streaming media|streaming media]] services. The bill passed in the Senate but failed in the House of Representatives.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/08/tech/emergency-alert-netflix-hulu-streaming/index.html|title=Should Netflix and Hulu give you emergency alerts?|last=Wattles|first=Jackie|website=CNN|date=March 8, 2019|access-date=2019-04-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/182663/senate-approves-readi-act-to-inform-public-in-emer|title=Senate Approves 'READI' Act To Inform Public In Emergencies|website=All Access|language=en|access-date=2019-04-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/sens-schatz-and-thune-introduce-readi-act-to-improve-eas|title=Sens. Schatz, Thune Introduce READI Act to Improve EAS|last=Ashworth|first=Susan|website=TvTechnology|date=July 23, 2018|language=en-us|access-date=2019-04-28}}</ref>

===Similar incidents===
* On January 16, only a few days after Hawaii's false alarm, Japan had a similar alarm sent out. An NHK news staffer sent an erroneous alert about a North Korean missile fired at Japan to 300,000 followers of its "NHK News and Disaster Prevention" service.<ref name=NHKalert>{{cite news | title = Japanese public TV says staffer sent missile alert in error | url = https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/01/17/breaking-news/japanese-public-tv-says-staffer-sent-missile-alert-in-error/ | newspaper = Star-Advertiser | location = Honolulu | agency = Associated Press | date = January 17, 2018 | access-date = January 17, 2018}}</ref> Previously, NHK and other Japanese media sent alerts for each North Korean missile test, but this alert stated "It appears that North Korea has launched a missile".<ref name=NHKalert/> Overall, the public reaction was not as extreme as what was witnessed in Hawaii as the NHK within 5 minutes of the alert posted on their website stating that it was a false alarm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/days-after-hawaii-alert-mishap-japan-sends-false-alarm-about-n837921|title=Days after Hawaii alert mishap, Japan sends false alarm about North Korea launch|last1=Yamamoto |first1=Arata  |first2= Nick |last2=Bailey|date=January 16, 2018|website=NBC News}}</ref>
* On September 18, 2019, emergency sirens were accidentally set off on the island of Oahu during police training, causing confusion and fear among residents. Again, HI-EMA was required to issue a retraction on Twitter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kesslen |first=Ben |date=19 September 2019 |title="Are we going to die?": False emergency alarms set off in Hawaii, again. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/false-emergency-alarms-set-hawaii-again-n1056281 |access-date=2019-09-25 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>
* On January 12, 2020, nearly two years to the date of the Hawaii false alarm, the emergency operations center for the Canadian province of Ontario mistakenly issued an emergency alert on its Alert Ready system for all television stations and television providers, radio stations, and wireless networks in the province, containing an advisory relating to an alleged incident being addressed at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. The alert was confirmed to be a false alarm. In a nearly-identical manner to the Hawaii incident,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Austen |first=Ian |date=2020-01-12 |title=Ontario Warned of a Nuclear 'Emergency,' Then Said Never Mind |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/12/world/canada/ontario-nuclear-pickering.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=2020-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107223208/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/12/world/canada/ontario-nuclear-pickering.html |archive-date=7 January 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Draaisma |first=Muriel |date=2020-01-12 |title=Ontario government apologizes for alert about Pickering nuclear plant incident sent 'in error' |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/pickering-nuclear-generating-station-1.5424115 |access-date=2020-01-12 |website=CBC News}}</ref> the false alarm was the result of an operator error by a provincial emergency operations officer during a routine internal test at the beginning of a shift; the officer accidentally forgot to log out of the live Alert Ready system (done to check if the system is operational) before running the test (meant to be sent on a second, internal system), while there was also a breakdown in communications with supervisors over the issuance of a second alert to retract it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/human-error-caused-false-pickering-ont-nuclear-alert-investigation-reveals-1.4830030|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227164739/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/human-error-caused-false-pickering-ont-nuclear-alert-investigation-reveals-1.4830030|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 27, 2020|title='Human error' caused false Pickering, Ont. nuclear alert, investigation reveals|last=D'Mello|first=Colin|date=2020-02-27|website=CTV News Toronto|language=en|access-date=2020-02-27}}</ref>

=== In popular culture ===

* The events of the Hawaii false missile incident served as the basis for writer Dan Scott's radio play ''Emergency Alert: Ballistic Missile Inbound'' which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 20th March 2024. The play took key events from the incident and transported them from Hawaii to an English village in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Emergency Alert: Ballistic Missile Inbound |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xdfd |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* An off-Broadway musical about the incident titled ''This Is Not a Drill'' premiered at the Theater at St. Jean's on September 9th, 2025. Its creator, Holly Doubet, was in vacation in Hawaii during the 2018 event, and the musical is based off her experience.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rubins |first=Dan |date=2025-09-19 |title=Review: This Is Not a Drill, A Musical About the Mistaken Hawaiian Missile Phone Alert |url=https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-this-is-not-a-drill-a-musical-about-the-mistaken-hawaiian-missile-phone-alert_1804197/ |access-date=2025-10-01 |website=TheaterMania |language=en-US}}</ref>
* The Rookie Season 2 Episode 6, Titled "Fallout" which aired in 2019, depicts a similar event, with the citizens of Los Angeles receiving a false alarm ballistic missile attack alert via mobile Emergency Alert System. The 2018 Hawaii incident is referenced in the episode.

== See also ==
* {{annotated link|1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm incident}}
* {{annotated link|Social:Civil defense}}
* {{annotated link|Physics:List of nuclear close calls}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawaii false missile alert, 2018}}
[[Category:Nuclear safety and security]]

{{Sourceattribution|2018 Hawaii false missile alert}}