A disconcerting email landed in the inboxes of University of Hawaii students and staff on Monday, Oct. 9.
“In light of concerns about North Korea missile tests, state and federal agencies are providing information about nuclear threats and what to do in the unlikely event of a nuclear attack and radiation emergency,” the email said.
Talks of preparing for the eventuality of a nuclear attack have cropped up in Hawaii in reaction to North Korea’s increasingly threatening actions and rhetoric.
“Now it’s time to take it seriously,” Hawaii state Rep. Gene Ward, a Republican, told Washington Post. “Not to be an alarmist, but to be informing people.”
State Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi (D), who also attended the meeting, said “It’s very unsettling. There are people who are concerned. … The best way to deal with it is to be prepared for any scenario.”
“It could be the most powerful detonation of an H-bomb in the Pacific,” Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters. “We have no idea about what actions could be taken as it will be ordered by leader Kim Jong-un.”
If North Korea were to attack Hawaii, it’s likely target would be Honolulu. But impact on a neighboring island also could not be ruled out, according to Vern Miyagi, administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Officials believe there would be up to 15,000 casualties.
Once a missile is launched from North Korea, there will be less than 20 minutes warning, Miyagi said.