The January 13th Missile Warning
At 8:08am on January 13th, 2018 an incoming missile alert was issued to cell phones across the state reading:
"BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."
Local TV programming was also interrupted by an alert banner which read:
"The U.S. Pacific Command has detected a missile threat to Hawaii. A missile may impact on land or sea within minutes. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. If you are indoors, stay indoors. If you are outdoors, seek immediate shelter in a building. Remain indoors well away from windows. If you are driving, pull safely to the side of the road and seek shelter in a building or lay on the floor. We will announce when the threat has ended. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Take immediate action measures."
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While the state government and warning system officials determined the cause for alarm and eventually determined the warning was falsely triggered, the population of Hawaii was left to wonder about the incoming terror, grapple with the belief their life might end, and attempt to prepare for what they believed was the inevitable.
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It was not until 38 minutes later that the state released an official alert declaring the initial warning a false alarm.
During The 38 Minutes
Those in Hawai'i, especially the highly militarized island of O'ahu, reacted to the initial warning in a variety of ways.
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Some called loved ones, sought shelter, sped home across state highways, or fled from the island on boats. University students huddled in classrooms after being unable to enter locked fallout shelters. Visitors at Kualoa Ranch were packed into an old World War 2 bunker in the valley's mountainside.
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Everyone has a story for the way they spent their 38 minutes. At parties and gatherings friends reminisce and swap details over what they did in the moments before they thought their life would end. It seems easier to laugh about it now, after everyone wasn't actually blown to smithereens.
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We want to know your story. What happened in your 38 minutes?