LANAI — Maui County officials say the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay unnecessarily evacuated guests from the beach because of a possible North Korean missile launch.

County spokeswoman Mahina Martin says the Friday evacuation “was a good example of miscommunication.”

Martin says police advised the hotel that beachgoers should go inside and avoid the western and southern shores if the launch occurred and debris seemed likely to fall near the islands.

Martin says “We appreciate them wanting to be that cautious, but this was far beyond the information that was shared.”

North Korea says preparations for the launch are completed and liftoff was imminent.

Pyongyang says the first stage will fall off Japan’s northwestern shore while the second stage will drop in the Pacific between Japan and Hawaii.