Tiny Nevada town near secretive Area 51 braces for alien hunters

REUTERS ^ | August 21, 2019 | Rollo Ross

[McGruff]

Connie West, co-owner of an alien-themed motel in the tiny U.S. desert outpost of Rachel, Nevada, believes they are coming no matter what. Not aliens, but alien hunters.

A whimsical invitation on Facebook has urged UFO enthusiasts to gather on Sept. 20 and “storm” nearby Area 51, a U.S. military base long rumored to house extraterrestrials and spaceships. More than 2 million Facebook users have said they plan to go.

Residents of Rachel, a 150-mile (240-km) drive from Las Vegas and home to roughly 50 people, are split on how to respond. Some sternly warn the public to stay away, fearing large crowds will overwhelm a town with no gas station or grocery store. Others, including West, believe the best course is to welcome them with a music festival dubbed Alienstock.

[Night Hides Not]

There is a road from Rachel that leads to the back gate of Area 51. The first 10-12 miles is gravel, the last 2-3 is paved...kind of creepy.

We were out there at about 7PM on a Friday, we didn't see any activity out there, though I'm sure we were being watched.

From what I've read, the "black mailbox" (which was painted white) has been removed from its location a few miles south of Rachel.

We stopped to check it out, and we met a family from New Zealand who were on vacation. That was pretty wild, New Zealanders including that in their itinerary.

[struggle]

I’m surprised no one’s tried to fly a drone inside. Several drones at once would be quite hard to stop.

[samtheman]

Update on this story:

This past week, Lincoln and Nye Counties issued declarations of emergency in preparation for the crush of humanity expected to descend on the area on September 20. More than a half-dozen local, state, and federal agencies are involved in the planning, including the Las Vegas Police, the Nevada Department of Public Safety, and the state highway patrol. Governor Steve Sisolak’s office has been briefed and is monitoring the situation. And when the alien enthusiasts arrive, 200 to 300 police officers, medics, and firefighters will be on hand to receive them.

—https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/09/nevada-bracing-area-51-mayhem/597400/

Jacob Stern, Sep 4, 2019

[samtheman]

“There will probably be no water ... because everything’s going to sell out,” said Jon Koenig, the chairman of the Nye County Commission, during a public meeting. “There will be no gas left in the gas stations. No food. Nowhere to go potty.”