Are Zombies Real? Indiana Residents Get Emergency Radio Alert For Zombie Outbreak, Thanks To Hackers

A local radio station in Randolph County, Indiana, sent out emergency alerts about a zombie attack and a related disease outbreak in the area Wednesday. However, the sheriff’s department assured the residents that there was no local emergency and the alerts were the work of hackers.

The alerts were reportedly played frequently on a Winchester station, according to the sheriff’s department. Following this, the county’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management team contacted the state’s DHS to understand if the alerts were a planned training exercise. The WZZY 98.3 FM radio station, on which the broadcasts were played, was taken off air along with its sister stations after the county DHS determined the alerts were not a part of the drills, the Huffington Post reported.

"Local alerts from WZZY 98.3 FM regarding a zombie attack and disease outbreak from deceased bodies is a result of the radio station alerting system being hacked. There is no local emergency. We have contacted the radio station and notified the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Again there is no emergency or disease outbreak in Randolph County," the sheriff’s office reportedly said in a statement on Facebook, which, however, is no longer available.

Randolph County emergency management director Charles Shaneyfelt reportedly noted that the radio announcements warned about "a disease outbreak, diseased bodies and zombies" and traditional emergency alert tones were used to broadcast the messages.

However, not many people believed the alert.

“Stay vigilant, folks, odds are the zombies would go straight for the sheriff’s department Facebook account first,” one Facebook user reportedly commented on the sheriff’s post.

Another user said she heard the alert in her car and the broadcasts were followed by two to three emergency alert sounds.

“Nice try, but you do NOT have your PROFESSIONAL radio voice down good enough!!!” the user reportedly added.

Sheriff Ken Hendrickson also joked about the incident with local newspaper the Star Press.

"I'm glad my sons made me watch a couple of episodes of 'The Walking Dead' so I know how to kill them," Hendrickson told the daily.

Hendrickson also said that his office is not probing the incident and the radio station’s owners are investigating the matter internally.

However, in case one ever needs to prepare for a zombie outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a section on its website dedicated to the flesh-eating creatures.