My sojourn in the glorious state of Hawaii ended with a bang, not a whimper.
The family and I were docking in Honolulu, getting ready to leave the ship after a wonderful week’s cruise on the Pride of America, with two-day stops on the Big Island, Maui and Kaui, when the ship’s alarm blasted. At the same time, I received a text alert from the Hawaii civil defense system: A MISSILE IS HEADED FOR HAWAII. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. My nephew simultaneously got the same message on his iPhone. We looked at each other as our jaws dropped and people around us displayed a myriad of emotions from disbelief to pure panic. We climbed two flights of stairs to the cabin of my sister and brother-in-law. Finally the captain made an announcement that he would investigate the alarm. Many people were frightened, others were skeptical, and as the precious minutes ticked on, I said that if I had to go, I’d had a pretty good life. We jokingly decided that the shower was the best place to hide but there were three of us in a small room. My nephew was nervous. I never really believed it would happen. I guess I’m a born skeptic.
We didn’t learn until 38 minutes after the warning that it was a false alarm.
People continued to disembark and as the time went on, we decided that today was not the day that would begin the nuclear war. It was scary stuff, though. We were off the ship by 9:00, back in their condo by 9:30, and watched the local news coverage of the event to see how islanders coped with the near-disaster. We came to the conclusion that the civil defense system in Hawaii and the people who run it are inept, never a good feeling. Let’s hope up this is a wake up call for civil defense systems in all parts of the country to investigate their systems, so no more foolish mistakes are made.
I cleared my cell phone messages and sent replies to worried friends. I was scheduled for a 2:00 pm flight so left at about noon for the airport. The flight was late but uneventful except that it was the pilot’s last flight in his forty-year career. We applauded his near-perfect landing into SFO.
I got into my place at about midnight, when the second shock of the day reminded me just how vulnerable we all are:
We’d had a 4.5 earthquake on the Hayward fault January 4, and a picture fell off my mantle – shards of glass were everywhere in my small living room. Even though the earthquake was not a large one, the epicenter was a mere nine miles away. I heard the news when I was gone but was shocked to see the damage and once again get evidence of our vulnerability. I spent yesterday unpacking, doing laundry and cleaning up the mess.
I decided not to buy the ship’s internet package last week, as I knew it would be a busy cruise and I wouldn’t have time to write..I was able to check email when we were in port but I kept off the grid for the most part. I will post information on our cruise and send out some fantastic photos of flora and fauna. Hawaii is a beautiful state.
So this week I will write about the cruise and post pictures. It’s now time to get groceries and meet a friend this afternoon for a movie date.
Yes, life goes on..
‘Glad you are home & safe. I lived in Japan, where earthquakes of all 3 varieties became a way of life -Still it was breath-taking each time, no matter how minute !
‘Afraid the Hawaii error has Dictator Kim laughing — to see just how unprepared the U.S. is !!
A friend and her family live in Guam, so you can imagine the stress the “drill” caused in that family!
Glad you’re safe and back home, although facing the results of an earthquake is not the best welcome home present.
Talk soon.