The world has been in a state of unrest for a while now, but the idea of nuclear war hasn’t been on the public’s mind since the Cold War. But in a recent press event, it is reported that Hawaii will go back to the Cold War era. They are starting a monthly run of the Cold War era nuclear alarms as drills for the public.

These alarms function much like a hurricane warning on the island or a tornado warning siren here on the mainland. The public has been briefed on safety measures and schools will also practice these drills like they would an earthquake or fire drill. Like these other warning systems, it is said they will have only 20 minutes warning. On a small island, when everyone is trying to get somewhere, that may prove to be troubling.

The alarms are only a small solution. Spokesman Richard Rapoza stated in an interview with Reuters that based on speculation of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, in the event of a strike, “a single 150-kiloton weapon detonated over Pearl Harbor… would be expected to kill 18,000 people outright and leave 50,000 to 120,000 injured.”

This in large part is due to lack of any infrastructure built to protect against any sort of weapons attack. If people are in a real attack, they should take cover indoors and wait for a radio report.

However, many are concerned. In an interview with ABC, Hawaii residentNeil Milner stated, "I can't imagine this alarm is going to make any difference. There's no place to go, so warning us would be trivial. It would be instant gridlock with people trying to get somewhere.” The thought of a real attack has distressed many. Officials say that the likelihood of North Korea being able to reach Hawaii is very low. The new system is more to reassure those who wonder, what about Hawaii, when they hear reports of North Koreas tests over Japan. It is better to be over prepared than under.

What has brought on this sudden public awareness and preparedness? North Korea’s nuclear tests over Japan and the deepening tension between the U.S and North Korea have spurred officials to air on the side of caution.

On February 12, 2017, North Korea successfully launched a missile into its eastern sea; Fox News recorded this as the first launch during the Trump Administration. Since then North Korea has continually tested and launched various missiles and projectiles mostly near Japan.

As they continue and after the most recent launch President Trump made a statement that “we will take care of it,” and the U.S UN Ambassador and UN Ambassadors for South Korea and Japan met to discuss a path of international diplomacy to find a peaceful resolution to the threat from North Korea.

While we have managed to move away from the “Duck and Cover” methods that Bert the Turtle taught in the 60s Cold War, it is still a shock to see nuclear preparedness coming about again. It is also becoming evident that with the U.S large arsenal of nuclear capabilities there is a clear lack of nuclear defense and protection.

All that we can do now is wait and see how politics and diplomacy play out. No doubt it is eerie that the same systems from the Cold War and the same fears are re-surfacing after only a couple of decades.