Tiny US town near Area 51 braces for alien hunters

NEVADA (Reuters) — An invitation on Facebook has urged UFO enthusiasts to gather on Sept. 20 and “storm” Area 51. Now, residents of the tiny town of Rachel, a 240-kilometer drive from Las Vegas, are split on how to respond.

The town of Rachel, Nevada is home to roughly 50 people and just one business: The Little A’Le’Inn Motel and Restaurant.But now, it’s bracing for an onslaught of visitors.

That’s because Rachel is just 43 kilometers away from Area 51, the United States military base shrouded in secrecy and the center of conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials and UFOs.

And while residents have long embraced alien-obsessed tourists, the town is now worried that thousands — possibly tens of thousands — of UFO enthusiasts could be coming to Rachel following a call on Facebook.

”There is really no precedent for this event so there is no way to estimate how many people are going to show up,” said Rachel resident Joerg Arnu.

The town has been caught up in the viral “Storm Area 51” campaign, which started on Facebook as an event calling on people to gather on Sept. 20 to raid Area 51 to look for aliens.