Americans should still take government warnings seriously even after the weekend’s false alarm that left Hawaiians wondering whether they were about to be hit by a nuclear strike, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Sunday.
Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” the Homeland Security chief said the false warning — for which Hawaiian officials have taken the blame — was a mistake, and that the federal government wants to ensure it never happens again.
“This was a very unfortunate mistake,” she said.
But Ms. Nielsen also said Americans shouldn’t doubt any future warnings from their government.
“I think this is a very important topic and I want to encourage everyone, first and foremost, not to draw the wrong conclusion,” Ms. Nielsen said. “I would hate for anyone not to abide by alert warnings.”
The Saturday warning came in the form of a cellphone alert.
“Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill,” the alert said.
Thirty minutes later, Hawaiians and tourists were told it was a false alarm.
The mishap came at a time of heightened tension between the U.S. and North Korea. If North Korea were to attempt a nuclear strike on the U.S., Hawaii likely would be a top target.
Lawmakers said Saturday’s error is unacceptable.
“What happened today is totally inexcusable. The whole state was terrified,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, Hawaii Democrat. “There needs to be tough and quick accountability and a fixed process.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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