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Officials Warn Nevada's Area 51 Off-Limits Despite Social Media Calls to Storm the Military Base

BBC

Officials in southern Nevada have drafted an emergency declaration and are planning in case huge crowds arrive for an event next month dubbed “Storm Area 51.”

Some thought it was all an internet hoax but public officials are taking the situation seriously.

An official with Nevada’s Lincoln County told the Las Vegas Review-Journal there’s a possibility of 35,000 to 40,000 people showing up and there are fears the crowds may try to storm the top-secret Area 51 north of Las Vegas.

Tiny desert towns near the once top-secret U.S. Air Force test area known in popular lore as a site for government studies of outer space aliens also are preparing. There are two small art and music festivals scheduled near the Area 51 base in coming weeks and officials are concerned that may lead to chaos if there are hundreds or potentially thousands of other people showing up to test the security at Area 51.

Officials are doing all they can to warn visitors not to attempt to enter Area 51--noting it is a U.S. military base off-limits to members of the public.

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