Researchers at the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the Americans were not ready for a possible nuclear strike, and the warning system needs to be improved. They came to this conclusion after analyzing Twitter messages that were published by residents of Hawaii within 76 minutes after the false warning of a nuclear attack on January 13, 2018. This is reported by Science Alert.
The team reviewed 5,880 Hawaiian tweets that appeared within 38 minutes of the false alarm and 38 minutes after it was canceled. Scientists noted that the reports of people who suddenly learned about the impending catastrophe demonstrated not only fear, but also ignorance of what to do in such situations. After the residents of Hawaii learned about the error, they were outraged, among other things, by the fact that the warning did not contain any instructions or information about the nearest shelters.
According to the researchers, people do not remember the information that is given to them during the training evacuations, and the ability to instantly exchange information through social networks makes the situation worse. Therefore, in the event of a real threat, it is necessary to send out clear instructions that people in the attacked region must follow. In addition, officials should release official information as soon as possible after the first warning to curb the spread of rumors.