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No, there will not be a nationwide blackout on Nov. 4

Posted at 11:30 AM, Nov 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-02 13:42:05-04

Rumors are spreading on Facebook that there will be a nationwide blackout enacted by the Department of Defense from Nov. 4 to Nov. 6.

In one Facebook video, a woman says an electromagnetic pulse drill will occur and urges her viewers to prepare for it. 

"There will be a very huge blackout," she says.

The claim of a blackout has also coincided with a conspiracy theory alleging that this blackout drill coincides with planned Antifa protests across the country. 

However, the claims are false.

Snopes says DOD will conduct a "communications interoperability" training exercise from Nov. 4-6, simulating a "very bad day" scenario.

The exercise will simulate power and communication outages across the grid, but there will be no actual outages.

DOD has done this exercise every quarter since 2013. A representative says the average citizen will "not even know" this exercise is taking place.