Off-Topic: False Alarm about Incoming Missile in Hawaii

Submitted by Orlando2 on

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/us/hawaii-missile.html

“Someone clicked the wrong thing on the computer,” was supposedly the cause of the false-alarm. It’s odd, because you would think it isn’t that easy to accidentally trigger a state-wide ballistic missile alert. I couldn’t imagine how terrifying it was for the people in Hawaii.

MGoBoard

Arb lover

January 14th, 2018 at 10:40 AM ^

Do any of you remember the cold war when we all were told at Michigan that Ann Arbor was 4th on the Soviet strike list due to our physics program? (I was young at the time but I still vividly remember that fact). For me nuclear war is never OT.

However, I doubt NK would lob one towards Hawaii as he really doesn't want to lose face, and if he were to miss and hit water (easy to do), it would look mostly like a failure to his staff. The mainland is likely a barn door target he could hit. Here's hoping that re-entry technology never gets developed and we come to some permanent solution for the whole mess so that I can watch my sports in peace. 

Joined: 11/26/2017

MGoPoints: 6915

brad

January 13th, 2018 at 10:26 PM ^

when it comes to thoughts of nuclear war, I take the Stanley Kubrick approach. Realize the world's biggest moron, whoever that is, could not even be that stupid to actually launch a nuclear attack, and then move on to other things.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 15707

Arb lover

January 14th, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^

The deterrence theory only works if people believe someone would be crazy enough to launch in the first place. If the majority doesn't believe its going to happen and isn't willing to launch a counter, it enables a maniac to consider a preemptive attack. That's why I always get a little queasy when people say it would never happen. 

Joined: 11/26/2017

MGoPoints: 6915

CryingMagnus

January 14th, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^

No.

Learn your history.

Deterrence works because people know that if they eff with us, they'll be wiped from the face of the Earth.

Kim's sabre rattling is what he needs to do to keep his masses in line; not that's he's actually going to launch.  China won't tolerate that either.

Joined: 12/21/2017

MGoPoints: 465

Steves_Wolverines

January 13th, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^

I live in Hawaii, can confirm. It was a good 25 minutes of madness and panic. The roads were instantly congested, people were fleeing the apartment building running to the university in hopes of getting into a basement. There are videos of parents dropping their kids into the storm drains. Waikiki was in absolute hysteria. Definitely one of the worst ways to interrupt me from watching Michigan beat down msu in their own arena.

Joined: 01/17/2013

MGoPoints: 4673

bluenoteSA80

January 13th, 2018 at 11:31 PM ^

but my oldest son is stationed in Oahu at Schofield Barracks. I haven't heard from him today and not sure if he was called in to the base. However, really makes you wonder when your own kid is in the "threatened" area.

*Update*

He says "yeah, someone's ass is getting fired" and figured the whole thing was a bunch of BS from the get go.

Joined: 01/18/2011

MGoPoints: 3033

nb

January 14th, 2018 at 12:38 AM ^

You put us in a not so Cold War with a tiny 3rd world country. Glad those tax breaks went through for Wall st. I’ll take shelter in my bunker now while you tweet insults and threats at a dictator of a tiny poor country. Maybe I should move to the east coast? Can you sell shares for bomb shelters?

Joined: 09/23/2009

MGoPoints: 285

1WhoStayed

January 14th, 2018 at 1:12 AM ^

I’m here in Waikiki for 16 months on business. A hotel fire alarm woke me up and after 5 minutes they announced false alarm. Talked to my wife later in the day and she asked if I was scared. I had no idea what she was talking about! No cell phone alert on my phone. Now THAT would have been interesting.Turns out that ignorance IS bliss!

Joined: 09/07/2015

MGoPoints: 11916

Searider

January 14th, 2018 at 3:43 AM ^

We got the Text with the warning which i thought it was a scam/ malware stuff so rebooted my phone & sure enough there it is again.... we started getting calls from familly but things wasnt adding up...theres no alarms sounding, no Broadcast break I even started searching for any other type of verification but couldnt find anything so we just kept calm & waited for further evidence that this was not a hoax or something... Which later was said to be an error. Interesting day.

Joined: 01/14/2018

MGoPoints: 16

WindyCityWolverine

January 14th, 2018 at 8:40 AM ^

HAWAII EMERGENCY MGMT.: PERSON NOT ONLY TRIGGERED ALERT BUT THEY ALSO PRESSED ‘YES’ TO VERIFY
‘
There is a screen that says are you sure you want to do this?’

And that same person clicked "Yes".

Joined: 08/31/2014

MGoPoints: 3379

Mp1228

January 14th, 2018 at 9:24 AM ^

“Mr. Miyagi, going through a detailed timeline of the events at an afternoon news conference...” Damn that dude is still alive? He must be a legend over there. Karate master AND government liason.

Joined: 05/05/2017

MGoPoints: 321

ChalmersE

January 14th, 2018 at 9:33 AM ^

So last week I made an offer on a house in Hawaii.  Moments after the offer was rejected -- the reports about the false alarm hit the media.  I'm not sure what to make of the coincidental timing, but maybe the gods were telling me not to be upset about the offer being rejected.

Joined: 11/19/2008

MGoPoints: 5196

Mp1228

January 14th, 2018 at 9:39 AM ^

Yeah I’m literally planning a trip to Hawaii with this girl, and she’s all worried about getting out there during whale season. After all this we might have to go somewhere else lol. Anyone know of any comparable places with similar pricing?

Joined: 05/05/2017

MGoPoints: 321