Crime & Safety
Michigan Nuclear Scare Today: False Fermi II Evacuation Alert Sent Thursday
Monroe, MI – Michigan residents received a frightening nuclear emergency notification Thursday, November 5, after an alert involving the Fermi II Nuclear Power Plant mistakenly instructed recipients t
By Grant Holloway · 2026-11-05T16:54:35.485Z
Monroe, MI – Michigan residents received a frightening nuclear emergency notification Thursday, November 5, after an alert involving the Fermi II Nuclear Power Plant mistakenly instructed recipients to evacuate or shelter in place. Authorities quickly clarified that the warning was false and that no actual emergency was occurring.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff 's Office, an emergency message associated with a drill was accidentally distributed Thursday morning to opt in subscribers of the county's Everbridge emergency notification system.
The message was subsequently retracted, with officials emphasizing that there was no emergency at the Fermi II nuclear facility.
False Alert Warned of Nuclear Emergency The original notification referenced Monroe and Wayne counties and stated that an emergency was occurring at the Fermi nuclear plant.
It instructed residents in a designated area to shelter in place while directing another area to evacuate. The message also called for clearing a five mile section of Lake Erie surrounding the facility.
The notification appeared to be an official Emergency Alert System message, creating the potential for confusion among recipients who believed an actual nuclear emergency was underway.
However, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office confirmed the notification was connected to a drill and should not have been distributed as a real emergency warning.
Sheriff's Office Confirms No Emergency In its public clarification, the Sheriff's Office stated:
"An emergency message related to the Fermi II Nuclear Power Plant in Monroe County, Michigan was accidentally sent out to opt in subscribers of the Monroe County Everbridge alert system this morning."
Officials added that the message had been retracted and stressed, "THERE IS NO EMERGENCY at Fermi II."
The incident highlights the importance of timely corrections when emergency notification systems distribute inaccurate warnings, particularly those involving nuclear facilities.
What Michigan Residents Should Know Residents who received the original alert should rely on the Sheriff's Office's correction rather than the evacuation and shelter instructions contained in the mistaken notification.
The Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the alert was part of a drill, not an actual emergency.
Residents can monitor official Monroe County emergency management and law enforcement channels for any additional information about the notification error.