In light of Saturday’s false ballistic missile alert, the American Red Cross on Monday reminded Hawaii residents to remain prepared for any disaster, natural or man-made.
Although the chances of a nuclear attack are low, the chances of a hurricane or tsunami striking Hawaii are significantly greater, and require similar preparations, said Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO of the American Red Cross’ Hawaii chapter.
“The sad thing is, even in hurricane season, people aren’t prepared, and you have days to prepare for a hurricane,” Matayoshi said. “For a missile, you just get 15 minutes.”
One of the key items for surviving any disaster is an emergency preparedness kit that contains water, food, a first-aid kit, medication, a radio and more. Although the Red Cross recommends mainland residents prepare kits that last three days, Hawaii’s isolation from supply chains makes it advisable to prepare kits that last two weeks.
Two weeks also is the amount of time citizens might be forced to remain in a shelter in the event of a nuclear blast. The state Department of Defense advises residents to remain in their shelter until they are told it is safe to leave or until 14 days have passed, when radiation from the blast’s radioactive fallout has dissipated.
Matayoshi said public hurricane shelters will not be open in the event of a ballistic missile threat because of the very limited time between a warning and detonation.
The state DOD recommends residents remain in whatever shelter they find themselves in when the alert is broadcast. Anyone outdoors is advised to immediately seek refuge in the nearest building, preferably a concrete structure. Drivers are advised to lie flat in their cars unless they are very close to a building.
Talmadge Magno, administrator for Hawaii County’s Department of Civil Defense, said most buildings with modern construction will suffice to shield inhabitants from radioactive fallout, so long as the walls and roof are thick enough and the doors and windows sufficiently sealed. However, “very few” structures will be able to withstand the force of a close-range nuclear explosion, he warned.
The most powerful nuclear weapon detonated in North Korea — whose nuclear program has been a considerable point of contention with the international community in the past several years — is estimated to have had an explosive yield of approximately 100 kilotons after an underground detonation in September, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment. A nuclear detonation of that yield would create a fireball nearly 1 mile in diameter and an air blast nearly four times that diameter that would destroy nearly all structures, regardless of construction, according to data from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
In addition to a standard emergency preparedness kit, Magno suggested residents make sure they have dust or particle masks on hand in their shelters. A battery-powered radio also is vital in order to maintain communication with other shelters or relief efforts, as a nuclear detonation will trigger an electromagnetic pulse that might disrupt or destroy electrical devices and telecommunication systems.
While in a shelter, Matayoshi said to maintain hygiene as much as possible, to lower the risk of disease within the shelter.
Matayoshi said the majority of precautions for a missile strike would also be applicable to prepare for a hurricane or tsunami.
“People need these plans,” Magno said. “On Saturday, we had people calling 911, asking what they should do, and we told them to get inside and stay inside. They didn’t even know to do that.”
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com
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The American Red Cross recommends residents include the following in an emergency preparedness kit:
• Water (1 gallon per person per day)
• Food (nonperishable, easy to prepare)
• Flashlight
• Radio (battery operated, ideally rechargeable)
• Extra batteries
• First-aid kit
• Medications and medical items
• Manual can opener
• Multipurpose tool
• Personal hygiene supplies
• Copies of documents (prescriptions, proof of identity, insurance policies, etc.)
• Cellphones and chargers
• Family contact information
• Cash
• Bedding supplies
• Change of clothes
• Towels
• Dishes
• Tools (to help secure and re-enter your home)