Hawaii has begun planning for a potential North Korean nuclear attack through educating the public and dusting off Cold War-era training manuals.
Hawaii News Now reports that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is urging residents of the island state in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to be prepared if the rogue nation decides to attack the U.S.
According to the news outlet, an ICBM loaded with a nuclear warhead would take about 20 minutes to reach Hawaii. Residents there would have anywhere between eight and 12 minutes notice of the incoming strike.
"We need to tell the public what the state is doing," said Vern Miyagi, administrator of Hawaii's emergency management agency. "We do not want to cause any undue stress for the public; however, we have a responsibility to plan for all hazards."
State officials are planning for a potential attack that would involve a 15-kiloton nuclear warhead that would detonate 1,000 feet above Honolulu. Training drills and manuals from the Cold War are being updated and put into action.
Starting in November, the state will test an emergency siren that would warn residents of an incoming nuclear threat on the first of every month.
After North Korea conducted another test of an ICBM missile earlier this month, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, said residents of her state need to be protected.
"We must ensure we are able to defend against North Korea's threat with cutting-edge missile defense technologies, but this is not enough," she said. "We must pursue serious diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and ultimately denuclearize North Korea."
Alaska also is concerned about the nuclear threat North Korea poses.
After North Korea's July 4 ICBM test, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, released this statement:
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