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Fake 'Inbound Missile' Alert Sent To Every Cellphone in Hawaii (chicagotribune.com)

"Somebody sent out a false emergency alert to all cell phones in Hawaii saying, 'BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL'," writes Slashdot reader flopwich, adding "Somebody's had better days at work." The Associated Press reports: In a conciliatory news conference later in the day, Hawaii officials apologized for the mistake and vowed to ensure it will never happen again. Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi said the error happened when someone hit the wrong button. "We made a mistake," said Miyagi. For nearly 40 minutes, it seemed like the world was about to end in Hawaii, an island paradise already jittery over the threat of nuclear-tipped missiles from North Korea...

On the H-3, a major highway north of Honolulu, vehicles sat empty after drivers left them to run to a nearby tunnel after the alert showed up, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Workers at a golf club huddled in a kitchen fearing the worst... The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency tweeted there was no threat about 10 minutes after the initial alert, but that didn't reach people who aren't on the social media platform. A revised alert informing of the "false alarm" didn't reach cellphones until 38 minutes later, according to the time stamp on images people shared on social media.

8 of 227 comments (clear)

  1. Brown Pants by jwhyche · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bring me my Brown Pants!!

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    I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    1. Re:Brown Pants by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Funny

      From Red Dwarf:

      Kryten: "I suggest we go to red alert."
      Cat: "Forget red alert. I say we go straight to brown alert!"
      Kryten: "But sir, we don't have brown alert."
      Cat: "You won't be saying that in a minute...and don't say I didn't alert you!"

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  2. Orson Welles was an amateur. by sehlat · · Score: 4, Funny
  3. . . . and the other buttons . . . ? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 4, Funny

    So, they have a button programmed to broadcast a missile attack, and the operator "hit it by mistake."

    So what other alert buttons are pre-programmed on the board . . . ?

    "GIANT TUNA DEVOURING BEACH VISITORS!"

    "AI POWERED SLINKY ARMY ATTACKING PASSENGER CARS!"

    And, of course, worst of all:

    "HAWAII DECLARED TO BE A SHITHOLE!"

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    1. Re:. . . and the other buttons . . . ? by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

      "IMMINENT COVFEFE! STAND BY!"

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      Have gnu, will travel.
  4. Obligatory... by Pseudonym · · Score: 4, Funny
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    sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
  5. In addition.. by Ayano · · Score: 4, Funny

    Funny part is that there was a prompt for "are you sure?"

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    I don't read AC
    1. Re:In addition.. by squiggleslash · · Score: 4, Funny

      "You have stated you are not sure you want this message to go out. Do you want to cancel the message? [OK] [Cancel]"

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