Storm Area 51 Raid: Nevada County Declares Emergency In Preparation

As tongue-in-cheek as the “event” has been since its inception, one Nevada county is taking the coming “Storm Area 51” raid very seriously.

In a unanimous 4-0 decision on Monday, the Lincoln County board voted to preemptively declare a state of emergency ahead of the hordes of visitors that may or may not flood the desert in September, according to reports.

Created by Bakersfield, California, resident Matty Roberts, “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” is a Facebook event initially created in jest that has attracted over 2 million prospective attendees intending to storm the infamous military base, rumored to house alien technology. Per the Facebook post, the raid will take place on Sept. 20.

“We passed this with the caveat that this may or may not happen,” District D Commissioner Kevin Phillips said. “We're just trying to do the best we can to prepare for something we know not of. We have no pickin' idea what we're going to face – if anything.”

Area 51 is located in Lincoln County near the Groom Lake salt flat. Acquired by the Air Force in 1955 to test the Lockheed U-2 aircraft, the classified base was not publicly acknowledged by the U.S. government until 2013. Due to the intense secrecy surrounding the base, it has become the topic of numerous conspiracy theories over the decades, with most revolving around the notion that the base held alien technology recovered by the military. The nearest town, Rachel, has become a tourist attraction labeled “The UFO Capital of the World.”

The Air Force has confirmed that it is aware of the event and that it will take necessary action if any individuals actually follow through on the premise of the half-serious event.

“The Nevada Test and Training Range is an area where the Air Force tests and trains combat aircraft,” Air Force spokeswoman Laura McAndrews said. “Any attempt to illegally access military installations or military training areas is dangerous.”