The North Korean nuclear threat will soon enter Hawaii living rooms a little more forcefully as the state adds an “attack warning” wavering-tone siren to its monthly “attention alert” tests for hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. At 11:45 a.m. Dec. 1, during regular siren tests on the first business day of each month, 50 seconds of the steady-tone alert will be followed by a pause and then 50 seconds of the attack warning tone, said Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Executive Officer Toby Clairmont. Clairmont said the last time Hawaii residents heard the attack warning siren test was around 1980

during the Cold War. The siren, if used as an actual warning, would signal the need to immediately seek shelter. The Russian threat, now far more removed, has been replaced by the unpredictability of North Korea, which exploded a nuclear device Sept. 3 that may have had yielded 250 kilotons or more. By comparison, the Hiroshima blast was about 15 kilotons. For the foreseeable future, the additional monthly attack warning sirens will be the new norm statewide. Hawaii Emergency Management unveiled a sample of the wavering siren at a preparedness presentation Saturday and in a new public service announcement now running. MORE


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