Governor Eddie Calvo on Friday advised Guam residents “to stay prepared for any eventuality” and get their emergency plans ready.
“For those of you who are from Guam, you know typhoons can strike anytime,” Calvo said at a press briefing. “We also have just started our typhoon season. So that means, families are making family emergency plans and kits together.”
Verbal confrontations between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continue to escalate but Calvo said the threat level has not changed.
“I think everybody should conduct their business as usual,” the governor said. “It’s weekend; go out have a good time. Enjoy the beaches and live your lives. Information will be made available to all those if there are any changes.
On Friday, Trump tweeted that "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!"
“I don’t like that temperature is getting higher. I think it is also important that there is clarity that if there is an any attack on any American soil including Guam, that it would be met with overwhelming response,” Calvo said.
“I am not a military man, a strategist or military planner, but based on the information that we have, the confidence level of the US, and their allies and also knowing a little bit about the limitations of North Korean capability, I have reasonable confidence,” he added.
If North Korea were to attack Guam, Charfauros said,
residents would have a 14-minute window to react
from the time the warning siren goes off.
George Charfauros, the governor’s homeland security advisor, reiterated that even if North Korea were to attack— based on his calculation of classified data— there is .00001 percent chance of its missile hitting Guam.
Nevertheless, he said emergency plans including a warning system and public advisories are in place to lead residents into safety.
If North Korea were to attack Guam, Charfauros said, residents would have a 14-minute window to react from the time the warning siren goes off.
Guam has “a fairly mature communication system working through homeland civil security defense,” Calvo said. “And of course we have a lot of practice both because of natural disasters, such as typhoons and maturation of the system as a result the first threat from North Korea back in 2013.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Frank Aguon said any threat to the island “should never be taken lightly.”
“If North Korea says that they will attack Guam with a missile, then we should be prepared to defend our island and protect her people,” he said.
The chairman of legislative committee on veterans and military affairs said he has confidence in the preparedness masterplan from the Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense.
“This would be a good time to implement some of these plans, which include campaigns of education, preparedness and awareness,” he said.
Aguon advised residents to monitor public advisories. “Being informed is key; and listening for information by Emergency Response Personnel is essential. The information provided would direct you to either take cover as quickly as you can under a concrete structure or below ground for a minimum of 24-hours or until instructed otherwise or to avoid areas identified as unsafe. This is all part of the preparedness masterplan of the Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense,” he said.