Hawaii residents received emergency alerts warning of a “ballistic missile threat” in the early morning of Jan. 13. The false alert prompted U.S. military officials to scan systems that monitor missile launches; they determined almost instantly that there was no threat. Residents have heard the sirens during system tests in recent months, but the alarms remained quiet amid the false alert Saturday. In California this year, for example, state alert systems were used to warn residents of fires and mudslides. Richard Rapoza, a spokesman for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said that missile alert warnings are typically prompted by notification over a dedicated communication line with U.S. Pacific Command.

Source: Washington Post January 14, 2018 01:21 UTC