Storm Area 51: First Photos, Videos Hit the Internet

It’s officially that time — the designated “Storm Area 51” weekend is here, and it seems that people are actually following through on the Facebook event, which went viral earlier this summer.

Titled “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us,” the event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 20. Despite the fact that the event’s creator admitted he made the page as a joke, people have officially begun arriving in a tiny town in southern Nevada near the U.S. Air Force base, which has long been rumored to extraterrestrial information of some kind.

Photos and videos have begun circulating on social media of people having arrived near the base, with many dressed up and apparently ready to do their best to try and find out what’s inside.

Several people also pointed to a man seen in the background of a news broadcast, who Naruto ran across the screen, a move inspired by the anime series, Naruto.

Officials in Nevada are worried about the number of people that may show up, as the tiny towns near the base are not prepared for that amount of tourism in almost every way — hotels are scarce, as is gas, and such a large amount of visitors could negatively impact emergency services. Authorities have also repeatedly warned potential visitors to stay away from the area.

“Storm Area 51” was created by a man named Matty Roberts, who didn’t think anyone would actually take his page seriously. In an effort to redirect the expected flow of traffic, he began promoting the music festival Alienstock in the tiny town of Rachel, Nevada, pulling out of that event the week before it was scheduled to take place. Instead, he promoted the Area 51 Celebration in downtown Las Vegas, a location much more equipped to handle thousands of people.

The event is currently being live streamed on YouTube, with event attendees reportedly “on the ground” in Nevada attempting the raid.

Photo Credit: Getty / George Frey