Hawaii Gov. David Ige says he was told within two minutes that the Jan. 13 missile alert sentwas a false alarm, but the “all clear” was delayed because he didn’t know his Twitter password.
Ige told reporters on Monday that the reason his Twitter account was silent for 17 minutes after the alarm went out was because he didn’t know his login information, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported.
“I have to confess that I don’t know my Twitter account log-ons and the passwords, so certainly that’s one of the changes that I’ve made,” Ige said.
Hawaiians were sent into a panic when human error caused the ballistic missile alert to be sent out across the islands. The state and the U.S. Pacific Command did not issue an official correction for 38 minutes.
Ige’s communications staff members manage his social media accounts. Ige spokeswoman Cindy McMillan has said the governor had to track her down to prepare a message for the public before they could post anything, The Associated Press reports.
