Possible ‘Storm Area 51’ crowds worry Nevada desert towns
LAS VEGAS — Visitors descending on the remote Nevada desert for “Storm Area 51” are from Earth, not outer space.
No one knows what to expect, but the two tiny towns of Rachel and Hiko near the once-secret military research site are preparing for an influx of people over the next few days.
“It’s happening. We already have people from all over the world,” Little A’le’inn proprietor Connie West said Wednesday from her bustling cafe and motel, where volunteers have arrived from Poland, Scotland, Australia, Florida, Idaho and Oklahoma.
Neighbors, elected officials and event organizers said the craze sparked by an internet joke inviting people to “see them aliens” might become a cultural marker, a monumental dud or something in between.
Area 51’s secrecy has long fueled fascination about extraterrestrial life, UFOS and conspiracy theories, giving rise to the events this week and prompting military warnings not to approach the protected site.
“This phenomenon is really a perfect blend of interest in aliens and the supernatural, government conspiracies, and the desire to know what we don’t know,” said Michael Ian Borer, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas, sociologist who researches pop culture and paranormal activity.
The result, Borer said, was “hope and fear” for events that include the “Area 51 Basecamp,” featuring music, speakers and movies, and two festivals competing for the name “Alienstock” starting Thursday.
Some neighbors and officials in two counties near Area 51 are nervous. The area of scenic mountains and rugged desert is home to a combined 50,000 people and compares in size with New England.
Elected officials signed emergency declarations after millions of people responded to the Facebook post this summer.
“We are preparing for the worst,” said Joerg Arnu, a Rachel resident who could see from his home a makeshift stage and cluster of portable toilets in a dusty area recently scraped of brush surrounding West’s little motel and cafe.
Arnu said he installed outdoor floodlights, fencing and “No Trespassing” signs on his 30-acre property. He’s also organized a radio-equipped night watch of neighbors, fearing there won’t be enough water, food, trash bins or toilets for visitors.
“Those that know what to expect camping in the desert are going to have a good time,” Arnu said. “Those who are looking for a big party are going to be disappointed.”