N.Korea’s nuke threat has Hawaii schools, hospitals discussing the unthinkable

The Aug. 24 parent bulletin for Kaelepulu Elementary School noted a PTSA fun fair and no school on Labor Day — and then veered into the unthinkable: the possibility of a North Korean nuclear attack.

“In case anyone is receiving concerns about North Korea from our community, attached (is) some guidance from the state,” the message from the principal stated. “There is no threat warning nor high concern, it is merely sharing information in case anyone is curious or may encounter concerns from others.”

The identification of “safe areas” in the school and use of plastic sheeting, wet cloth and duct tape to seal windows and cracks to minimize indoor air contamination was one recommendation in the bulletin.

State planning for a “low” probability North Korean attack is filtering out to schools and hospitals as the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency continues preparation for the possibility of a 150-kiloton nuclear strike somewhere in Hawaii, which would leave death and destruction across an estimated 16-mile blast zone.

Liholiho School sent a note to parents on Sept. 28 saying the school wanted to “inform you about steps being taken by the Department of Education regarding the North Korean threat.”

The DOE had met with Hawaii Emergency Management “to discuss our proper actions when sirens sound ‘attack warning’ is signaled,” the letter said. “The proper emergency action is to shelter in place.”

Hawaii, closer to North Korea and its increasingly capable ballistic missiles than every state but Alaska, has been working for a while on a preparedness plan. The adjustment to that worrisome reality is an exercise in stress management for some, and disbelief in the North’s capabilities for others.

Six working groups have been set up by Hawaii Emergency Management: public information and education; radiological monitoring and decontamination; emergency medical care and fatality management; immediate response operations; contingency communications and electromagnetic pulse mitigation; and infrastructure.

Nov. 15 is the deadline for an outline of strategy and resources, a draft plan is expected by Dec. 15, and by Jan. 15 final plans are expected for review, said Toby Clairmont, executive officer for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

The fear factor continues to escalate with President Donald Trump on Saturday tweeting that “only one thing will work with North Korea,” implying conflict. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker on Sunday accused Trump of making threats that could put the United States “on the path to World War III.” North Korea itself is expected to soon launch a long-range missile to show it can hit the West Coast.

Whether North Korea can achieve accurate targeting and has a warhead capable of surviving re-entry are question marks that add to the uncertainty of Hawaii’s security.

To those who would say state planners are being alarmist, Clairmont says Hawaii Emergency Management is fulfilling its responsibility.

“We have a responsibility to protect the people of Hawaii. That’s a legal, moral and ethical responsibility that we can’t shed,” Clairmont said. “So regardless of people’s opinions, if there’s enough evidence to suggest a threat, we have to act on it.” Hawaii Emergency Management continues to classify the threat level as “low.”

While planning has started moving beyond Hawaii Emergency Management, for some, even discussing the notion of a North Korean attack requires a fine balancing act.

A University of Hawaii email that went out Monday with the subject line, “In the event of a nuclear attack,” generated international media attention and an apology from a school spokesman Tuesday.

“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.

The message was sent to 51,674 students and 10,606 faculty and staff in the UH system.

“For this type of event, the ten campuses of the University of Hawaii will rely on the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency siren system and follow agency instructions on ‘sheltering in place,’” the email said. A link also was provided to the state emergency management website.

The unusual nature of a university system alerting its constituency to the possibility of such an attack attracted the attention of national and international media, including The Washington Post, Fox News, CBS News and the Daily Mail of London.

“This is entirely my responsibility — right down to the subject line,” Dan Meisenzahl, director of UH system communications, said Tuesday. “So I take full responsibility and the last thing I wanted to do was cause any unnecessary concern among our community.”

Meisenzahl said it would have been better to convey in the subject line the unlikely nature of such an attack.

“Because of recent events I think over the last two or three months, (UH) leadership, including emergency managers and communicators, had been getting inquiries from a variety of different members of our community regarding (the North Korea issue), and were wondering what we were doing about it,” Meisenzahl said.

As North Korea has advanced its nuclear program, the state has ratcheted up the conceivable kiloton yield that could be delivered to Hawaii. The planning estimate now stands at 150 kilotons. By comparison, the Hiroshima blast was about 15 kilotons.

Shelter would be required for the vast majority of people for a few hours, Clairmont said. In the event of a strike, for perhaps 90 percent of Hawaii, “radiation levels will (rapidly) drop to the point where you can leave a shelter,” he said.

The Queen’s Medical Center is taking its own steps to prepare its employees for the remote possibility of a strike.

“The recent threat from North Korea, we take seriously,” said Dr. Rick Bruno, interim vice president of surgery, trauma and the emergency department. “We’re closely aligned with the state and federal agencies (and) the county. We work closely with them.”

Bruno gave the assurance that “we are ready with respect to stocking supplies for taking care of our patients and any surge of potential patients that we would have.”

The wavering-tone air raid siren that would warn of a North Korean attack and that harks back to World War II is in place and may be tested for the first time at 11:45 a.m. on Dec. 1 along with the usual steady tone warning of tsunamis or hurricanes.

Such a siren hasn’t been heard in Hawaii since the Cold War. The state’s preparedness plan will become even more visible in coming days with the airing of public service announcements on radio and television, Clairmont said.

The first test of the wavering-tone attack warning siren had been scheduled for Nov. 1 statewide but was delayed to provide more education to Hawaii residents in what will be another adjustment to life under the threat, however remote, of a North Korean attack.

“When we test, we want the public to understand what they are listening to,” Clairmont said.

Guidance Summary For Coordinated Public Messaging by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd