This piece documents the reactions and experiences of various residents of Hawaii during January 13th’s incoming missile false alarm.
BY MARIAH SMITH
Hawai’i, more specifically Oahu, holds a special place in my heart. In August of 2016, I hugged my parents goodbye and stepped onto a plane that would deliver me 3,900 miles to the beginning of what I can only call the best time of my life. I accepted the opportunity to exchange at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa earlier that spring, and I had no idea what was in store for me. I was there taking Communications and Women’s Studies classes from August to May of 2017. I learned much more than a class could ever teach, saw some of the most beautiful places the world has to offer, and made some amazing friends. Seeing that my friends and the aina (“land” in Hawaiian) could have been harmed in an instant broke my heart.
I’m not proud to admit that on Saturday, Jan. 13, at about noon central time, I was just waking up and scrolling my social media accounts. I opened my snapchat to see almost all of my friends in Hawai’i posted a story within minutes. This was odd because it was 8 a.m. there, so pretty early for everyone to be posting a snapchat. I opened the first one, my friend Jackie’s story, showing a screenshot from the emergency notification on her phone. I didn’t quite understand. But then I opened the second, third, and fourth ones — all similar images. That’s when it started to sink in what was really happening. My heart hurt for them, I was scared. I started to send my close friends messages asking for more information and telling them to be safe — which I now realize was a futile effort to express my own concern.
Within minutes, I could see my friends posting stories, again. I opened them hoping to learn more information, but thankfully found the mistake notification. I finally felt like I could breathe — and I can’t imagine how relieved they felt. This was forty minutes after the missile alert went out. Forty whole minutes. Within the hour after the mistake notification was sent my social media timelines were flooded by people commenting on this incident, both on the island and the mainland (colloquial term in the islands for the continental US states). I talked to many of my friends that day, making sure they were okay and what not. After a few days had passed, I decided I would interview them to hear their actual experience as they were there. I wanted to know about what it was like to be there as it was happening, but also look into what the rest of the day was like- something normal news can’t express. I wrote several people who I knew were there to see if they were interested, and then I gave myself a few days to put my questions “on paper.”
I will say that I have some amazing friends — they are truly beautiful people, and their responses are eye-opening to say the least. Eight of them took the time to thoughtfully answer my interview questions. I will briefly describe each person, and then separate their responses by the questions that I asked.
- Preston is from a small town in Ohio, and he just moved to Oahu seven months ago. He is a health and wellness ambassador and distributor for a wellness company. He lives in Hawai’i Kai (East Oahu). He doesn’t see himself there long term, but is enjoying his life there while he can.
- Courtney is a senior nursing student at University of Hawai’i at Manoa (UH). She is from Rancho Cucamonga, California, She transferred to UH in January of 2017, becoming my roommate in our third-floor dorm.
- Diena was born and raised on Oahu. She received her BA in Communications from UH in the spring, but decided to return for grad school this fall. Her life goal is to help her Pacific Island community as much as possible and work toward a better future for her family.
- Emani is an Animal Science/Vet Medicine undergrad student at UH. She is from Rancho Cucamonga, California, like Courtney (above). She also transferred to UH in January of 2017. She loves animals and quality time with her friends and family.
- Elle is a senior in Communications at UH. She was born and raised in Maui. She is inspired by Hawai’i’s natural beauty, and being anywhere the ocean water is. She also loves animals, and frequently fosters dogs for a local shelter on Oahu.
- Summer is a senior at UH studying Communications. She moved from Arizona to Hawai’i three years ago to start her education. She currently works at the Media Lab on campus which helps the media students practice their crafts.
- Jackie is finishing her last semester as a meteorology student at UH. She is from West Islip, New York, but her family recently relocated to Williamsburg, Virginia. After she graduates she wants to focus her studies on natural disasters and severe weather.
- Alani is a Communications undergrad student at UH. She is from California, where her two parents and three siblings are currently. She has been an RA for on-campus housing for three years, and generally thrives in leadership roles. She has also been known as DJ Ebony Ink because she hosted her own show on the UH campus radio station, KTUH!
Finally, my questions. I sectioned them off into four parts: As it happened — their experience with the initial missile alert. The mistake notice — their experience with the notification stating it was a mistake. The rest of that day — The immediate changes, if any, in Hawai’i. Lastly, longterm — How their life has changed or any differences in Hawai’i since it happened.
AS IT HAPPENED
1. Take me through your experience when you got the mobile warning that morning. Where were you, who were you with, what were you doing, etc.
Preston– I was laying in my bed at my house just waking up, I was going through my phone; text, social media, etc. when the notification popped up.
Courtney– The morning of the missile alert I was on the Marine base in Kailua, Hawaii. I had spent the night with a friend. I didn’t hear the alert. A phone call from my friend Emani woke me up. When I went to check my phone, I noticed the missile alert. That’s when I called her back and then woke my friend up since the message said it wasn’t a drill.
Diena– While everyone received an alarming alert that Saturday morning, I was still asleep in my bedroom. I woke up because I heard my phone ringing. My boyfriend had tried calling me three times before I answered. He told me to wake up and tell my parents that there was a missile threat. As I was getting up, I was confused and speechless. My heart started racing just thinking about what could potentially happen. I was worried about the safety of my family especially our babies because we have six young children and I just couldn’t bear thinking about them getting hurt.
Emani– It was a Saturday morning, 8:21 a.m and I was woken up by a loud alarm on my phone. Initially, I didn’t think anything of it because we receive messages like these all the time as a “Test of the UH Alert System.” As I proceed to turn off the alarm certain words immediately catch my eye, “Missile Warning” and “This is not a drill,” and my heart stopped. My immediate reaction is to hop out my bed and wake up my roommate/ best friend to see if she got the same message and to see what we should do next. I couldn’t do that, the room was empty and I was alone, and in that moment I had never felt so scared and alone in my entire life.
Elle– I had an early flight to Maui the morning of the false alarm. I left Oahu airport around 5:40 a.m. and got picked up on Maui at 6:30 a.m. by my boyfriend. We had to drive to Haiku. It was a beautiful morning. The sky was clear of clouds and the colors were pastel and beautiful despite my grumpiness from my lack of sleep and waking up at 4 am. My boyfriend and I reached our home in upcountry Maui around 7:30 and were both tired and just wanted to take a nap. We both received the alerts on our phones at 8:08 a.m. (See attached image)
Summer- On Saturday, January 22, 2018, at 8:07 a.m. I was in my bed asleep in my apartment with my roommate upstairs when the alarm on my phone went off. It sounded like it was raining so I thought “maybe a flash flood again” just to read “ballistic missile inbound to Hawai’i. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.” I didn’t think anything when the sirens were not going off because the month before they tested them and more than half didn’t work.
Jackie- It was the first morning I was back… I arrived Friday night and was sick so planned on sleeping it but woke up to loud noise on my phone. I thought it was a flash flood alert or something like that first but then looked and freaked out. (See attached image)
Alani- I was sleeping over a friend’s house when we got the alert. I was sleeping on the couch in the living room and my friend woke me up really suddenly. She looked panicked so I woke up pretty quickly. She then told me that she had received this alert on her phone and asked if I had the same. I then checked my phone and had the same alert so I automatically went into mom mode.
2. What was the first thing you did after you read it?
Preston- The first thing I did when I read it was ripped my covers off ran out of my room and banged on my roommates door to see if he was up and if he had gotten the notification as well.
Courtney- After I read the missile warning, I woke my friend up since we were on the base and then I called my mom to let her know what was going on.
Diena- At that point, my dad was just coming out the restroom because he had just woken up as well and the first thing he told me was to call my sister to come to our house so that we could all be together. I closed the windows that were open and called my sister and told my sister “Lina, dad said for you all to come to the house!” because she and her family were the only ones missing from our household. My parents, uncle, and three younger siblings were all home at the time. When I called my sister, I could hear it in her voice that she was afraid. She was definitely panicking and she told me ok “I’m packing up the kids!” I then told her to just hurry up and get to the house because of my prior knowledge of hearing that it would only take fifteen minutes for a missile to hit Hawai’i if it were ever launched. I asked one of my younger siblings to turn on the T.V. to see if the news was on, but there was nothing! It felt like a horror movie! We just sat there waiting and waited to see if anything will pop up on the news to inform us on the latest updates. While we were waiting, my sister and her family made it.
Emani- First thing I did after I read this message and discover that I am on my own in this situation, is throw on some clothes and go into the hallway to see if anyone else is out there and is as scared as I am or knows what to do. In a situation like this you’d expect people to be frantic and it to be chaotic with everyone trying to figure out what to do, this situation and hallway was the exact opposite. My whole hallway, my whole building was quiet and I start to wonder, “Am I the only one who got this message?” When I walked out into the hallway to find someone who might possibly know what to do, I met a boy by the elevator who was just as scared, panicked, and clueless as I was. We both had the same questions, “What do we do?” When we go downstairs to see if anyone, another student or even an RA, knew what to do not even my RA, someone who is supposed to be in charge and informed about emergency situations, knew what to do or where to go.
Elle- The first thing we did after reading the alert was ask each other “is this real”, I listened for sirens and we turned on the T.V. for the news. My boyfriend, Mark, is a fireman and immediately called his station to try to confirm or debunk it, because we hoped there was no way we’d have to deal with such a catastrophic event, minutes ago being cuddled in bed ready to nap. On the phone with the station, his recruit class friend told him that they got word it was a false alarm so there should be nothing to worry about. I wondered how it could be a false alarm but I also wondered what I should be doing to prepare in those 12-15 minutes.
Summer- Time stopped for a minute after, I began to analyze what we had been only shortly briefed on. I looked outside and saw the freakout, then got my roommate who was bawling and cat in the bathroom and started making my goodbye calls. My father and boyfriend never answered and that was a horrible feeling. My grandmother and Aunt told me I’d be fine but were crying. I tried to get off the phone fast to call others but they didn’t want me to go so I had to hang up. My mother called completely calm and told me what to do and told me to stay on the phone until it happens or until I couldn’t be anymore. Those are the worst phone calls you can ever have.
Jackie- First thing I did was read it again to make sure I wasn’t dreaming and then I actually went on snapchat to see if anyone else got it. I immediately ran to close the windows and put towels underneath the cracks in the door. While I was doing this I called for my roommate to help me. I grabbed water, mattress and blankets to the bathroom. My roommate and I sat in the bathtub praying and talking on the phone to our loved ones.
Alani- I got up and told her to wake the other two girls in the house and that when they woke up to get dressed quickly, grab important items they thought they would need, and to meet me in the kitchen to help me get things together. I immediately called my dad and started multi-tasking; filling up water bottles, packing a food bag, and grabbing the car keys.
3. What was going through your mind at this point in time?
Preston- To be completely honest what was going through my mind was “oh sh*t” right when I first read it, then a lot of confusion as to why I was not hearing the sirens go off as well.
Courtney- I think the one thing that was going through my mind that I was so far away from my family and that I didn’t want to die on that military base alone (The friend that I was with had to suit up and be ready for whatever was about to happen). I was shaking and had trouble breathing. I also was worried about my roommate, Emani, because I knew she was alone and scared. A part of me did feel safe only because I was on a military base with weapons and soldiers but also this terrified me.
Diena- Not much was going through my mind but three things which were God, my family, and death! I felt as if we were just abandoned. My mind was blank at times, too. All I wanted was for my family to be together under one roof. As long as we were together, whatever happened next, happened! There was just no time to think of going elsewhere for safety. I just thought that because we were threatened and still are threatened by North Korea, shouldn’t our state officials and Civil Defense team have a close eye on any potential attacks/threats? As worried as we were, we all remained calm for the sake of the children. My baby brother who is 7 knew that something was wrong and heard that there was a potential issue involving a missile threat. My dad ended up carrying him on his lap and tried explaining the situation as best as he could with little harm to comfort my brother.
Emani- Everyone was clueless, there was no help. I felt sick to my stomach, helpless, and had fully convinced myself that this was it, I’m gonna die here at school. I made a call to the person who I’d want to hear from me last, my mom. I knew exactly what was going on and what was going to happen, but at this moment I couldn’t make out any words to tell her. The only words that came out were, “I got an alert.” “There’s a missile.” and “…I don’t know.” Even with the little amount of words that I could spit out, she knew by the desperation in my voice what I meant and that this was serious.
Elle- I know I didn’t want to believe it was reality. While holding my bunny, I thought about my family who lives in Hawai’i, my family elsewhere and so I texted my family group chat that I loved them all.
Summer- First thought I had was I have 12 minutes to get into the bathroom and call my family and boyfriend and say goodbye. My body was shaking violently as I started to make the calls.
Jackie- I was freaking out, I was thinking about my parents and how they would never forgive themselves. I was also thinking about how unprepared I felt. I was thinking about what building am I even supposed to be in, what supplies I should have & what exactly is a ballistic missile?
Alani- At this point, I was really calm and the only thing going through my mind was “Okay, you need to get the girls to safety as quickly as possible.” My second thought was “Call Dad and see if there is anything being reported outside of Hawaii.” I’m a logical person, especially in emergency situations because of all the training I’ve been through throughout my life, so it was easy for me to kind of shut down and focus. But even though I was “focused” so to speak, there was this little voice in the back of my head still whispering “alright, this is it. You’re about to die.” As I was packing stuff, I had a moment where I felt a different type of calm; with such little time between the notice and when the missile was supposed to hit, I accepted that my demise was inevitable and there was nothing I could do to change that.
4. Wherever you were, was there any kind of protocol for this kind of incident that you were already aware of?
Preston- At was at my house, but the only protocol was to basically get to the safest place, in our house it would be the bathroom in the bathtub.
Courtney- I was on the marine base so yes. They had a drill they had been running for months in case of something like that. I didn’t know about it but the friend I was with had me get dressed so I could be ready to go into the bunkers they had on base for civilians.
Diena- Nothing at all but just to seek shelter. Our plan was to gather on the stairs because that was the safest place in our home that was located in the center with walls around it.
Emani- I’ve been going to this school for over a year, and I’ve never received or been told what to do in a situation like this. There was no protocol is this situation. Every single person was clueless when it came what to do.
Jackie- I remember UH sending out something about it awhile back but it wasn’t very detailed.
Alani- On campus, they didn’t really tell us where to go or what would be a designated “shelter” so to speak. They sent out a PowerPoint slide but it was redundant and not helpful.
5. Is there any statewide protocol that you know of for that kind of incident?
Preston- The statewide protocol is basically to find shelter as soon as possible, basements, parking garages, etc.
Courtney- I didn’t know of any statewide protocol for this type of situation. I knew from other things like T.V.or movies that my best option would be to stay inside and just keep contact with my family.
Diena- No. If there was, I was not included in the audience that received it because of the lack of platforms used to reach all audiences of various ages and technology use. If our state genuinely cared for the safety of their people, a protocol would have been established successfully from the first time of receiving a potential threat.
Emani– There is no statewide protocol that I have ever been informed of or heard of being talked about. The most I’ve heard about a situation like this is if you’re outside to “take shelter.”
Elle- There was protocol. I read powerpoints of what structures you should go into to protect yourself, ones underground were best, to have a supply of food and water to last a few weeks, to close windows or not go outdoors, etc. But your location would be probably what kept you safer. On Oahu, I read emails from school about how to prepare for the fallout with stocking up on water and food to last for weeks but unless you had a shelter of your own I knew that being on Maui immediately lessened my chances of being directly affected.
Summer- The state and university posted PowerPoints online that said to stay inside in the middle of a room with no windows. The bottom and top floors are the worst places to be. And to stay tuned to the news. Actually, there is nowhere to even go at this point. The fallout shelters are not ready for us and not close enough for the time that we had.
Jackie- I am unsure of the statewide protocol honestly.
Alani- In Hawaii, there are no shelters or protocols except to stay inside, take cover, and prepare 14
days worth of food and water.
6. If you were out in public, what was that like? What were other people doing, talking about, etc.
Preston- I was not out in public.
Diena- As far as I heard, people were running trying to either seek shelter or rush home to their loved ones. People who were driving were going the opposite direction on freeways. One family placed their loved ones into a manhole for safety.
Emani- Looking out from the lobby of my building, all you see is a swarm of students running past my building toward campus. I had an idea of where they might be going- Spalding (building). I had a class there last semester and every Tuesday and Thursday I remember reading the sign on the building that said “Fallout Shelter.” I had 2 thoughts. 1.I knew that this building was old, under-maintained, and that there’s was a slim chance of it protecting all of us should a missile hit the island. 2. The building was all the way in upper campus so what are the chances of me making it in time. I had a split second to make a decision. After hearing a girl near me call her dad and tell him, “There’s a missile headed toward the island. I love you,” I decided that I couldn’t allow myself to just sit there and watch and be helpless. I wasn’t gonna give up without trying to make it across campus. I joined the large crowd of students running across campus. We made it to Spalding and there was relief that we made it, but then there was another surge of worry after we try to all get inside and the doors were locked. Some of the students try to pry the doors open, while others try to run to another building to see if it’s open. Just as people start leaving to find another building one of the back doors to the building open up and we all run inside.
Summer- Before I went into the bathroom I looked outside to confirm what was going on. Everyone was running to the apartments and market. Cars were running red lights and not an emergency vehicle was in site. That was the moment it felt real.
Jackie- I was not out in public, I was in my dorm room.
Alani- I wasn’t out on the street, but from videos and friends’ encounters, people were driving on the
wrong side of the road, speeding, and doing everything they could to get to somewhere safe fast.
MISTAKE NOTICE
7. What were the 45 minutes leading up to the mistake notification like for you?
Preston- The 45 minutes leading up to the mistake notification wasn’t actually 45 minutes for me. I knew something was off when I wasn’t hearing the sirens so I got on twitter and searched Hawaii and #hawaii and actually saw that one of our representatives had tweeted it was not real about 15-20 minutes after the first alert went out. However, during the time before I officially found out it was a mistake it wasn’t really scary I guess it was sadder, I called my mom and tried to hold back tears as I told her we got a notice that said this wasn’t a drill and missile was headed towards us. I was just really sad that this was happening and that my mom and family might have to deal with the death of me.
Courtney- I knew about 20 minutes before everyone else that the missile threat was a false alarm. Since I was on the base, they were alerted that it was a false alarm so after I knew that I calmed down a little and texted Emani that the threat was a false alarm. Then 10-15 minutes later I got the alert.
Diena- I just thought “This is it.” Death was all that came to mind. I couldn’t believe that it would have been that easy for a missile to reach us. The mistake notification brought me relief but that was where God came into play! Whatever was about to happen, God came through. Who knows that notification may have been real but it was just a coverup of something that was really about to happen. Through that moment and after receiving the false alert, God is the only one we can trust!
Emani- These 45 minutes leading up to the Mistake notification felt like a combination of some of the shortest, but also some of the longest minutes in my life.
Summer- I was asleep in my apartment bathroom, so I didn’t know until I woke up.
Jackie- INSANE.. my roommate and I heard someone screaming outside saying it was fake about 25 minutes in and some stress came off our shoulders but I didn’t feel safe the entire day. (See attached image)
Alani- I knew something wasn’t right because if there was a bomb, it was supposed to hit us in 15 minutes. I was still on the phone with my Dad and he was the one that told me that someone had posted on Twitter that it was a false alarm. I still hadn’t gotten an alert when he told me that so I kept the assumption that there was still some kind of threat, even if it wasn’t a missile anymore.
8. What was going on when you got the notification that it was a mistake? Who were you with, where were you, what were you doing, etc.
Preston- When I saw on twitter it was a mistake I was with my roommate in the living room and we both had the news channel on waiting for one of the main networks to pick up on what was going on.
Courtney- I had already calmed down by the time the second alert came. I knew that it was fake so in that time I was just talking to my family to let them know that I was ok, and the alert was a mistake.
Diena- We were just thanking God! Me and my whole family were in the living room waiting to hear updates. I believe that there is a reason for everything and that alert alone was a message in itself to seek God because the world has truly drifted from him.
Emani- When I got the notification that it was a mistake, I was told by a campus security officer. I was with a group of students and we were all sitting in the front of the lecture hall away from the doors.
Jackie- I immediately called back my parents to share the news with them and I was thinking about who made the mistake and what kind of trouble they would get in.
Alani- When I got the notification, I was in my friend’s car. I had packed it tight with all of our things and backed it out of her parking spot (I’m the fastest driver out of all of us lol). I was waiting for them to finish grabbing their pet rabbit and then we were going to head to school. I was by myself in the car when I got it and all I could do was put my head on the steering wheel and just sit there. I honestly didn’t know how I was feeling in that moment. After that, I parked the car and went back into the house, completely forgetting all the things we had packed in the trunk.
9. If you were in public, what was that like. What were people doing, talking about?
Preston-I was not in public.
Diena- Fortunately, my family and I were at home; however, looking outdoors within our neighborhood, no one was outside. Everyone stayed in their homes. I saw on SnapChat a few friends were outdoors hiking and ran down after getting the original alert. By the time they got to the bottom, they received the false alarm notification.
Emani- While in the lecture hall with the large group of students, when we received word that it was a mistake alert, many people were angry. After most people had left to go back to their rooms, half of the students, including myself, stayed in the lecture hall. Some of us out of caution and the other half out of shock.
Summer- I was in my apartment.
Jackie- I wasn’t in public.
10. What were your first thoughts when you read it?
Preston-When I first read on twitter it was not real my exact words were “are you f*cking kidding me” I really was in shock that an alert like that with the words “THIS IS NOT A DRILL” was somehow sent out.
Courtney- Even though I already knew the missile threat was fake when I read the second alert, I was angry at the person that sent the alert out. It was such a huge mistake and it caused everyone on the island to panic.
Diena- I had to let it sink in. I was just thinking, “Is this really happening?” and “What if it were real?” I questioned the protection we as a state had knowing that we had the most powerful military in the world. I wondered what was being done at that very moment because it seemed as if we were abandoned and isolated because after the alert, it felt as if everything else just failed us. Phone calls were being dropped and the news was not even on the channel its usually on. After the false alarm, I found the news on a totally different channel which has changed my perspective on a lot of things especially those in positions of authority. We literally couldn’t turn to anything at that moment.The news was not on like how they usually have it during a Tsunami warning. There was not even an automated news channel to inform people which made me doubt the ability of authorities. I just pictured an explosion as if that was it. At the same time, my faith and hopes that we are protected by the Lord brought me comfort. No tears- just a test in faith and my family was all that mattered. Nothing else in the world mattered to me but my family and God! That just goes to show the temporary life we live here on earth and those materialistic things and problems with others don’t matter. The alert itself said it was a “human error”! How was it that easy for someone to accidentally send out an alert informing the whole state about a missile headed our way? What could they have done if people took it upon themselves to take their own lives to avoid suffering? There were too many questions without reliable answers from authorities.
Emani- I wasn’t really thinking anything when I first found out it was a mistake, I just felt relief immediately, then afterward anger and still shock.
Elle- I felt ease once I double checked sources online, then heard the announcement on TV and received the second alert. And lucky that nothing I loved could be taken away from me. I felt relief more than any other emotion, relief that a nightmare was not coming true today.
Summer- I was relieved.
Jackie- First thoughts were “YAYYYYY, I am not going to die today” and “Hopefully I will make it to graduation” and that I am excited to get out of Hawai’i.
Alani- My first thoughts were “oh f*ck” and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
THE REST OF THE DAY
11. Describe the rest of the day. Did things feel different?
Preston-The rest of the day started out slow. We were trying to comprehend what just happened, how this could have happened, watching the news for more info. Things didn’t really feel different it just put a delay in peoples’ days.
Courtney- The rest of the day was fine. I went back to campus, and stayed in my dorm room. I tried distracting myself by watching movies. I talked to my mom and sister later in the day and we were joking about it. I did think about it how even though the threat was fake, it could’ve been a distraction and set up and we could still be in danger but by the next morning I was completely fine.
Diena- No, just a big sigh of relief. I would just check my phone occasionally to see if there were any more alerts that I should be aware of. Other than that, my day continued as a normal day.
Emani- The rest of the day, I was on edge. Even though I knew it was a mistake and I was probably safe, I still felt anxious all day and even a few days after. Things did feel different the rest of the day, the campus seemed much calmer and much quieter.
Elle- I was in Kula, Maui, with a beautiful view of Haleakala, one of my most favorite places in Hawaii, with someone I love.
Summer- The rest of the day was a relief, but I also had a sickening feeling. I had accepted the fact I was going to die. I called my family and worried them without an actual threat to us. I said goodbye and listened to some cry. It will forever be in my memory.
Jackie- Everything felt different, I really thought about my life differently. Even people felt different, we all had a common connection almost, I can’t really explain it.
Alani- After I went back into the house, we all sat around on the kitchen floor debriefing and talking. Me and my best friend had plans, so we still did those, but afterwards, I had to go to sleep. I took a 5-hour nap after we finished running our errands. Things did seem different. More people were out and about it seemed and no one could stop talking about what happened.
12. Did you notice anything that had changed that day directly because of the threat?
Preston- I did not notice anything that day directly because of the threat.
Courtney- I didn’t really notice any changes. I talked to a few of friends about it. We all just agreed that whoever sent the alert messed up bad and that it scared everybody for no reason.
Diena- Liability and trust was no longer the same for those in position. I know that things can always happen and it could possibly be out of human control, but a protocol could have given people a piece of mind. Communication was nowhere to be found when we needed it the most. People were just left waiting to die basically not even knowing how long more it would take for the missile to reach us.
Emani- There was nothing I noticed that day, directly, besides my mom calling me more frequently to check and see how I was doing.
Elle- People all had opinions on the matter. I saw a lot of social media posts. It seemed every other post was about it. So many people chimed in on the convo, and some people had no idea it happened.
Summer- Everyone was either relieved or angry on social media.
Jackie- My friend, Audrey and I had brunch plans and went out around 1130, hours after the incident and there was a sign on the door saying they panicked and left (see image). Some businesses closed down and still didn’t open after the threat. (See attached image)
Alani- I didn’t notice anything. Places were opening and running fine, but there definitely seemed like there were more people out.
13. What was it like in public? Did things function as normal after?
Preston-Yes life went on as usual here in the Aloha state.
Diena- The missile threat was the topic of the day. There were hate comments by those out of state saying that Hawai’i should have been bombed to get rid of all the brown people. It goes to show how strong hate, racism, colorism, and discrimination is. Other than that, things were normal.
Emani- I didn’t leave the dorms until the next day to go to church like I usually do on Sundays. When I did everything seemed like it had pretty much gone back to normal functioning. More people definitely seemed like they were at church that day, and it was definitely a large topic of conversation that day and the next few days thereafter.
Summer- It’s great that it didn’t happen but it did cause a lot of deaths and people to become so desperate to go inside manholes. Nothing has been normal since people lost family members, the mayor didn’t fire the man just moved him, and just yesterday we got another warning about a tsunami which turned out to be false but many didn’t get notified even if it was real.
Jackie- People were a lot nicer in my opinion. I made a lot of conversations that day at the beach.
Alani- Things functioned as normal as they could. Everywhere I went, people were talking about it though. I went to Bed, Bath, & Beyond right after and people looked a little more into themselves, introverted in a way.
14. Did anything weird happen the rest of the day that brought you back to the missile threat?
Preston- Nothing really weird happened that brought me back to the missile threat that day.
Courtney- The only thing that brought me back to the missile threat was having conversations with different friends. Also, when I was thinking the fake missile threat could’ve been a cover-up and that we could still be in danger.
Diena- Nothing I can recall. But people started to make jokes out of it and companies also started making shirts about surviving the missile. It’s all fun and games until something really happens. Overall, it was a wakeup call; unfortunately, not for everyone.
Emani- Nothing weird happened the rest of the day, it was more quiet and calm than usual I felt.
Summer- Not that day but since every time I hear any alarm my heart drops and I get all those feelings of fear and acceptance again.
Jackie- Not super out of the ordinary with what I remember
Alani- I’m an RA on campus and resident kept asking me if something like this were to happen, what should they do. That kept bringing me back to my initial feeling of calm detachment. I thought it was weird, but not that the dean of Social Sciences sent out an email a couple hours after it happened. This email only went to students of that college. Reading it brought me back to the feeling of “holy sh*t, I really almost died today.”
LONG TERM
15. What kind of news or explanation was released about the incident?
Preston- We were told that it was a human error during a shift change, by the governor of Hawaii- who I may add was beyond late to reacting to this incident and is going to get destroyed on that topic in the next election by a competitor because it was absolutely absurd that a representative that was in Washington DC at the time had tweeted it was false way before we heard anything from the governor who was here.
Courtney- There was a lot of news report just confirming that the missile threat was fake.
Diena- For 38 minutes, there was nothing that could have helped anyone after receiving the alert! Later, we received another notification that it was a false alarm! The explanation behind it was that it was a “HUMAN ERROR”. How is this even possible? Where is the button located? Is there not a clear box surrounding the button? Could it have been that easy to make such a mistake basically sending a message to notify everyone that they will practically die? Besides such ridiculous explanation, there were screenshots of messages sent by individuals who had relatives serving in different areas of the military stating that there was a missile, but the media is not covering it because Hawai’i was simply not prepared for such a threat and that they did not want people to panic! What kind of people are being hired to work in such important positions? I came across a local candidate that would be a better representative of Hawai’i. Her name is Andria Tupola and I believe she will move us forward for the betterment of Hawai’i.
Emani- Besides the follow-up text about the original missile text being false, I didn’t receive any other information or explanation from any school officials or anything for the next few days. I had learned through social media that somehow during a shift change, an employee had pushed the wrong button and sent out the wrong test alert.
Summer- It was a “human error” he hit the wrong button and it took 38 minutes for them to make a “this is false alarm announcement “ because they didn’t have one ready. That is not justified, Hawaii shouldn’t have spent 38 minutes in fear of a button mistake.
Jackie- There was news updates coming out all over.
Alani- We didn’t get an email from the University until about 3 days later which I thought was completely unacceptable. They sent an email basically restating the useless powerpoint they originally sent out and talking about the upcoming protests for the overthrow of Hawaii. The second email we got came on the 22nd of January and stated that there are no shelters and there would be no plans to designate spaces as shelters.
16. At any point, did you hear about a protocol for that kind of situation? If so what was it?
Preston- The protocol that we have been told multiple times is to seek shelter, that’s all you can really do.
Courtney- We received one email from the school explaining that they basically don’t have an evacuation plan or anywhere for students to go if this sort of situation would have been real. This kind of pissed me off more just because it made me feel unsafe in a place that I live for a temporary time. I think the people I follow on twitter were more helpful in what to do in case of a missile. They were giving advice on where to go, what to pack, and just how to stay safe which is more than the school and the actual state did.
Diena- Nothing at all during that moment! All there was to it was to seek shelter! Prior to even having this actual missile threat, there was no clear protocol as to what residents of Hawai’i should do if there was ever any actual threat. You would think the very first verbal threat would trigger a protocol, but there was none. If there was one, the media failed to reach a wider audience!
Emani- Up until yesterday after checking my school email, I still had not received any protocol on what to do in an emergency like this. As for the email I received yesterday, it just clarified to me that if this were to really happen for me to stay where I am, seek shelter, and that there are no longer any designated bomb shelters for us. Basically, in a real situation, all of us on campus are pretty much screwed.
Summer- After they release new safety announcements that said the same thing “ stay inside”.
Jackie- No
Alani- The only protocol they re-enforced is to stay inside and stay prepared. (See attached pictures)
17. Has this changed your behavior or outlook on life? If so, how?
Preston- This has not changed my outlook on life, I lost my dad when I was 8 so that incident taught me not to take a day for granted and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. However, for someone who has not had an incident in their life like I have, I could see how this could shake them a little.
Courtney- I think it just made me realize that life is shorter than we think it is. When people kept mentioning how it would have taken 15 minutes for the missile to get to the island, it just made me realize that I would have had 15 minutes to say bye to the people that I love.
Diena- Most definitely! How can we trust authorities anymore? We have the most up-to-date technology that could detect so many things and people who have the knowledge to execute the positions they are in for the benefit of the public. Now, it’s harder for me to believe anything that is promised to the people. Too many authorities and candidates speak on too many things, but no action at all!
Emani- This situation has not really changed my behavior on life because I am normally a person who takes time out from her days to think back on how appreciative I am of everything I have. But this situation definitely made me feel more emotions that I do not usually feel, including helpless and scared. I felt just a short glimpse on how it truly feels to have your life change in seconds. This situation just reassured to me how precious life is, day to day, minute by minute, and second by second. Also to pay attention to details, small events, and gestures that happen in your life every day, good or bad because not everyone is as fortunate as I am.
Summer- I had taken my life for granted because I realized I had regretted my whole life during that time. Regret not calling Home every day. 12 minute isn’t enough time to say goodbye to everyone you love. Now I freak out even when my alarm clock goes off. I definitely value my days now.
Jackie- Yes it definitely has. I am even more grateful to be alive and to have the people in my life, as corny as it sounds. It puts so many things into perspective and the reality of the issue is scary because I believe it could happen
Alani- I think this event has sparked something in me. When someone tells you that you have 15 minutes left, a lot gets put into perspective. For me, it made me want to be more active in social justice issues, politics, my own health, what I put my time into, and the people I surround myself with. Life is so short (I know, totally cliché), but it truly is. I won’t let fear of doing anything or failure stop me from pursuing my dreams. I won’t stop doing anything I can to fight for not only myself, but for the better of my country as a whole. I will continue to treat others with kindness, forgive, and appreciate more.
18. Is there anything else that you want to add that I didn’t specifically ask about?
Preston- I would just add that even though it was a big mistake, it taught us some things: 1- this is a very real threat and could happen, so be as prepared as possible. 2- not everyone received the alert on their phone so that tells the emergency management center there are some bugs to work out.
Diena- The false alarm alert was a relief; however, it was a test that allowed us to open our minds and eyes to what could have happened and to be more grateful for the lives we live and those in it.
Summer- I would never wish upon anyone to have to call family and say “a ballistic missile is coming, it’s not a drill, I have nowhere to go. I love you. Please call Dad, I can’t get ahold of him. I am sorry”
Jackie- It was hard to be there in that moment. I feel like anyone who wasn’t on Hawai’i won’t be able to understand the emotions that the threat caused. Hawaii is such a unique place, and I wonder if this will have any effect on tourism.
I want to take the time to thank each of my friends that responded, and say that I appreciate their willingness to participate. I know they are busy, and could be doing anything better than recounting what was probably a terrifying and mentally scarring incident. Reading your experiences as you thought you were going to die has been difficult for me- but nowhere near as difficult as living it, I’m sure. I cannot express how happy I am that each one of you is safe and alive today. You are each so talented, unique, and I promise the world is a better place because you are in it. I cherish each of you and the time we had together in Oahu. And I am at a loss for words to express how grateful I am that you shared your experience with me, and the readers of Tiger Media Network. Mahalo nui loa and a hui ho. (Many thanks, and until we meet again).
Aloha,
Mariah