Nevada desert towns prep for possible 'Storm Area 51' influx

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.

Workers erect a stage near a replica Area 51 gate sign at the Alien Research Center, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Hiko, Nev. 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. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

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.

Little A'Le'Inn owner Connie West speaks on the phone outside of the bar and restaurant, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Rachel, Nev. West was preparing for an event spawned from the "Storm Area 51" internet hoax. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

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.

Little A'Le'Inn owner Connie West, right, laughs with Kirk Schultz outside of the bar and restaurant, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Rachel, Nev. The the two were helping to prepare for upcoming events spawned from the "Storm Area 51" internet hoax. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

"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."

A person walks into the Little A'Le'Inn, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Rachel, Nev. No one knows what to expect, but lots of people are preparing for "Storm Area 51" in the Nevada desert. Neighbors, elected officials and experts say the craze sparked by an internet joke inviting people to ""see them aliens" might become a cultural marker, a dud or something in-between. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

He predicts people showing up in the desert in shorts and flip-flops.

"That doesn't protect you against critters, snakes and scorpions," Arnu said. "It will get cold at night. They're not going to find what they're looking for, and they are going to get angry."

Officials expect cellular service to be overwhelmed. The nearest gas station is 45 miles (72 kilometers) away. Campers could encounter overnight temperatures as low as 41 degrees (5 degrees Celsius).

Law enforcement officials stand outside of the Little A'Le'Inn, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Rachel, Nev. 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. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

"We really didn't ask for this," said Varlin Higbee, a Lincoln County commissioner who voted to allocate $250,000 in scarce funds to handle anticipated crowds.

"We have planned and staged enough to handle 30,000 to 40,000 people," Higbee said. "We don't know how many will come for sure."

Though the creator of the Facebook event later called it a hoax, the overwhelming response sent local, state and military officials scrambling. Promoters began scouting sites. A beer company produced alien-themed cans. A Nevada brothel offered discounts to "E.T. enthusiasts."

Workers erect a stage near replica Area 51 gate signs at the Alien Research Center, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Hiko, Nev. No one knows what to expect, but lots of people are preparing for "Storm Area 51" in the Nevada desert. Neighbors, elected officials and experts say the craze sparked by an internet joke inviting people to ""see them aliens" might become a cultural marker, a dud or something in-between. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

The Federal Aviation Administration closed nearby air space this week.

"People desire to be part of something, to be ahead of the curve," said Borer, the sociologist. "Area 51 is a place where normal, ordinary citizens can't go. When you tell people they can't do something, they just want to do it more."

George Harris, owner of the Alien Research Center souvenir store in Hiko, welcomed the attention and planned a cultural program focused on extraterrestrial lore Friday and Saturday.

Workers erect a stage at the Little A'Le'Inn on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Rachel, Nev. No one knows what to expect, but lots of people are preparing for "Storm Area 51" in the Nevada desert. Events include an “Area 51 Basecamp” in Hiko featuring music, speakers and movies and dueling “Alienstock” festivals. One is Thursday through Sunday in Rachel, and another is Thursday in Las Vegas. (AP PhotoJohn Locher)

The "Area 51 Basecamp" promises up to 60 food trucks and vendors, trash and electric service, and a robust security and medical staff.

Harris said he was prepared for up to 15,000 people and expected they would appreciate taking selfies with a replica of Area 51's back gate without having to travel several miles to the real thing.

"It's exactly the same," Harris said. "We just want people to be safe. As long as they don't go on the desert floor and destroy the ecosystem, everyone will have a good time."

West, the motel owner, is planning an "Alienstock" Thursday through Sunday in Rachel, a town of about 50 residents a more than two-hour drive north of Las Vegas on a normally lonely road dubbed the Extraterrestrial Highway. She plans 20 musical acts, plus food vendors and souvenir sellers.

West said she refunded some camping reservations after Matty Roberts, who created the Facebook post, broke ties with her event. Roberts, 20, of Bakersfield, California, is supporting an "Alienstock" festival scheduled for Thursday at an outdoor venue in downtown Las Vegas.

Roberts' attorneys told West to stop using the "Alienstock" name, but she refused, saying, "I'll just worry about the legalities later."

The U.S. Air Force has issued stern warnings for people not to approach the gates of the Nevada Test and Training Range, where Area 51 is located.

Area 51 tested aircraft ranging from the U-2 in the 1950s to the B-2 stealth bomber in the 1980s. The government spent decades refusing to acknowledge the site even existed, before releasing documents confirming it in 2013. Its secrecy still fuels speculation that it's where the government studies aliens.

County lawmakers in Nye County, home to a conspicuously green establishment called the Area 51 Alien Center, are discouraging Earthlings from trying to find extraterrestrials there.

"We're taking precautions and checking the back roads," Sheriff Sharon Wehrly said.

Her deputies last week arrested two Dutch tourists attracted by "Storm Area 51." The men pleaded guilty to trespassing at a secure U.S. site nowhere near Area 51 and promised to pay thousands in fines.

Arnu said the military added razor wire to barbed cattle fencing on the Area 51 boundary near his home, installed more cameras and battery-powered lighting, and erected an imposing spike barrier just inside a gate. He noted a new sign telling trespassers they'll be arrested and fined $1,000.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers and medics will be on hand, along with the Nevada National Guard.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn’t order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.

While U.S. officials believe Putin was ultimately responsible for the death of Navalny, who endured brutal conditions during his confinement, the intelligence community has found “no smoking gun” that Putin was aware of the timing of Navalny's death — which came soon before the Russian president's reelection — or directly ordered it, according to the official.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

Soon after Navalny’s death, U.S. President Joe Biden said Putin was ultimately responsible but did not accuse the Russian president of directly ordering it.

At the time, Biden said the U.S. did not know exactly what had happened to Navalny but that “there is no doubt” that his death “was the consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did.”

Navalny, 47, Russia’s best-known opposition politician and Putin’s most persistent foe, died Feb. 16 in a remote penal colony above the Arctic Circle while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges that he rejected as politically motivated.

He had been behind bars since January 2021 after returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.

Russian officials have said only that Navalny died of natural causes and have vehemently denied involvement both in the poisoning and in his death.

In March, a month after Navalny’s death, Putin won a landslide reelection for a fifth term, an outcome that was never in doubt.

The Wall Street Journal first reported about the U.S. intelligence determination.

FILE - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny gestures while speaking during his interview to the Associated Press in Moscow, Russia on Dec. 18, 2017. U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of Navalny, the imprisoned opposition leader, in February of 2024. An official says the U.S. intelligence community has found "no smoking gun" that Putin was aware of the timing of Navalny's death or directly ordered it. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)