Civil defense sirens sounded across Oahu, Hawaii by accident on Thursday. There was no emergency. This part may be hard to believe, the sirens were triggered by someone in Nebraska.
Hawaii Civil Defense spokeswoman Kelly Kunishige said Illinois-based Federal Signal has been contracted to do modernization work for Hawaii's more than 300 sirens across the islands. The state asked the contractor to do some checks, but when an engineer in Nebraska did so, Hawaii's siren protocols were not removed from the system, allowing some to be activated.
The state is modernizing its outdoor siren warning system. The eight sirens that went off are outfitted with moems that allow for remote satellite activation. The sirens are used during emergencies such as tsunamis.
Tsunami waves struck Hawaii in the aftermath of Japan's earthquake last year.
