A video that falsely claims that a Department of Defense (DoD) communications drill will cause the national power grid to go out for several days in early November is causing panic on social media.
The video warns that the Department of Defense will be using an electromagnetic pulse to shutdown the power grid November 4-6 - and that everyone needs to prepare now.
While a training exercise is happening during that time period, the outcome has been exaggerated by false reports being shared on social media.
The official DoD announcement about the planned exercise states:
During the exercise, the national power grid will not be impacted. Most social media reports referencing the announcement do not mention the exercise is a simulation and will have no "real life" impact.
"The average citizen will not even know this exercise is taking place. Our focus is to interoperate with the amateur radio community," English told Snopes.
Routine communication interoperability training happens four times each year and involves various divisions of the Department of Defense, along with amateur radio operators and MARS organizations. During the first week of November, these entities will come together to train under a simulated "very bad day" scenario.
A "very bad day" is any event in which the national power grid fails along with other forms of communication including landline phones, cell phones, satellites and internet connectivity.
They will also be practicing a solar storm scenario, but that too will be a simulation.
"The purpose of the training is to prepared for an event we hope will never happen, but should be ready for if it ever does," said the Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS). "These exercises are all about coordinating existing capabilities like amateur radio, and citizen volunteers like MARS members, to be a productive part of the solution in the event something like a severe solar storm ever happens."
The date of the training exercise coincides with rumored "Day of Rage" protests for "antifa" groups on November 4, according to Snopes.
The Army Military Auxiliary Radio System posted about the exercise on Oct. 25. In response to the rumors on social media, the page added a comment to the post to provide some clarity and to dispel rumors: