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In the aftermath of a mistaken incoming missile alert in Hawaii, it is fair to wonder about the nuclear disaster preparedness of the Seattle region, another area potentially within range of a North Korean nuclear attack.

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鈥淚 will tell you, I鈥檓 more interested in taking preparatory measures for the ultimate earthquake than I am in a North Korean strike,鈥� Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told KTTH鈥檚 Jason Rantz.

Still, Gates, said, civil defense officials should be taking the proper precautions.

鈥淭hey need to get organized. Let鈥檚 say better than the Hawaiians were in terms of alerts and things like that,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is not a new problem. When I was Secretary of Defense, we activated a theater defense capability in the Hawaiian Islands when we anticipated a long-range North Korean missile test. And we were prepared to shoot it down if it headed in the direction of Hawaii.鈥�

There are systems in place now to help thwart incoming missiles. The effectiveness of those systems, Gates said, has been debated.

鈥淲e do have some defense. You鈥檒l read lots of stories about whether or not they work. Particularly the ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California, but if it鈥檚 a single missile and you can launch several interceptors at it, the odds of success are significantly enhanced.鈥�

And while defending against a nuclear attack is important, diplomacy is even more so, Gates explained.

鈥淚 think the focus needs to be on the reduction of tensions and then what kind of a strategy can you follow going forward that over time eliminates this threat altogether,鈥� he said.