President Donald Trump, accompanied by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks to members of the media as they arrive for a dinner at Trump International Golf Club in in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)HONOLULU (AP) – Nearly 40 terrifying minutes passed between the time Hawaii officials fired off a bogus alert about an incoming missile over the weekend and the moment the notice was canceled.
The state was slow to contain the situation, waiting 23 minutes to call officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get unnecessary approval to send a retraction. That call lasted for about one minute, a state emergency official said Wednesday, but residents and visitors still didn’t receive the corrected alert until about 14 minutes later.
The confusion – and panic – have raised questions about whether any state should be solely responsible for notifying the public of such an event – especially as Washington and North Korea trade insults and threats.
Hawaii is the only state in the nation with a pre-programmed alert that can be quickly sent to wireless devices if a ballistic missile is heading toward the U.S. FEMA said Hawaii did not require its approval to cancel the alert on Saturday.
U.S. Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard, both of Hawaii, have asked the House Armed Services Committee to hold a hearing on the issue.