If you were a government official, would you warn the populace of an inevitable catastrophic event?

If I knew of something horrible that was about to happen, I'd try to let as many people know as possible. Yes, this might lead to panic and chaos, but at least there would be a reaction. If the information is known, people have the right to know they're about to die or something bad is about to happen. This gives them at least some time to finish what was necessary and prepare for whatever is coming. It would be the perfect time for last-minute apologies, last-minute bucket lists, and so on. In "The Plague" by Albert Camus, the town puts off calling the plague a "plague." It is condemning, and the loss of any hope that the disease might just fade away. As a government official, one must first check his or her information and remember that even though false hope is kind, the realization that one's false hope was exactly that- false, can be more devastating. The populace deserves to know the truth about the situation so that each individual can decide how they'd like to react and so that each one can finish what they need to finish before time runs out. A town can't sit around waiting for long amounts of time, so it is important to get the news out quickly.
Personally, I know that I'd like to know if a catastrophic event, such as a nuclear explosion or a meteorite headed towards Earth, was about to happen. This would give me time to make my peace with the possibility of death. And if we all have a chance too, we should be able to have a moment before facing the possibility of death. If I knew that this event was inevitable, I also think that I wouldn't worry about it too much because I have  no control over it. Hopefully the rest of the population understands this too and sees that chaos and panic won't fix the problem.