Stock up on groceries. Print the driving route. And be very, very patient.
Small towns and rural enclaves along the path of April's total solar eclipse await throngs of sun chasers planning to catch a glimpse of the sun setting over North America.
Tourists and community leaders making the complete route from Texas to Maine brought in extra fuel and toilets by truck and urged residents and visitors to be prepared. Some counties have issued disaster declarations to obtain additional assistance with security and other assistance, as well as the effects of severe storms. And in Oklahoma, the National Guard will be assisting.
Hundreds of schools are closing or switching to remote learning in states including Texas, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont because of expected heavy traffic and other disruptions.
Why all the warnings?
Tom Traub, a member of NASA's Solar Eclipse Ambassador Program, says you don't have to go back to the last total solar eclipse in the United States in 2017 to understand this concern.
That year, he visited Beatrice, Nebraska. There, the population, usually about 12,000, increased to about 40,000 as eclipse watchers arrived.
“Gas stations were running out of gas. Restaurants were running out of food. Restrooms were full and closed,” said Traub, who also runs the Maltz Kohl Observatory near Frewsburg, New York. he said. ”
This time, we want to avoid repeating the same thing in the top view location.
“They're preparing for almost the worst-case scenario. I hope that doesn't happen,” he said.
Mobile phone may not work
Emergency officials in Hays County, central Texas, are recommending eclipse survival bags filled with things like cell phones and chargers.
The instructions advise that the bag should also include a hard copy of the map and a compass. “Let’s go the old-fashioned way!”
Reminders to bring a fully charged cell phone, but to be wary of possible jamming, are widespread at major viewing spots. In 2017, drivers were using their phones to share photos and drive past busy towers.
“Write down your primary phone number just in case,” advised Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, about 50 miles east of Austin.
stock up on fuel and food
In several Texas counties that have declared disasters, the general advice is not to wait until the last minute to buy groceries so you can get extra help during busy times.
That includes Kerr County, located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country and 105 miles northwest of San Antonio, which is expected to double or triple its normal population of 53,000. .
County Executive Rob Kelly, who signed the disaster declaration, said: “Make sure your car is full of gas, you have enough food, your prescriptions are filled, and you have food for your animals.'' Please make sure you have stockpiled.” he said in an online post.
Preparations in the air and sea
Preparations are also underway at smaller regional airports. At Cape Girardeau, Missouri, additional fuel is being brought in, airport manager Katrina Amos said.
The airport was caught off guard in 2017, and the city of about 40,000 people along the Mississippi River was also devastated.
Another 40 to 50 planes landed that day. “This was unexpected,” Amos said.
This year, volunteers have signed up to help park all the expected additional aircraft. Amos said hamburgers and hot dogs will also be available.
Offshore, the Coast Guard will patrol Lake Erie by boat. It is located along a trail and some boaters plan to view it from the water.
traffic pole
Dr. Brad Raetzke, an emergency room physician in Columbus, Ohio, and medical director of several fire departments in the area, said fire departments in the path of the eclipse will respond with full force.
He is concerned about eye damage if people stare into the sun without safety glasses. And with more traffic, there will likely be more people injured in accidents, Raetzke said.
In 2017, he traveled to Nashville, Tennessee with his family to see the solar eclipse. The round trip usually takes him 6 hours, but it took him 15 hours. “So I understand the importance of planning,” he said.
In Erie, where hotels are nearing capacity, residents are being asked to leave the interstates to tourists, and signs have been posted more than 150 miles from the city limits warning of delays.
Chris Temple, a spokesman for Visit Erie, said traffic congestion would be “almost a nightmare once the total is over” after more than a year of meetings to double the size of the 94,000-person city. An onslaught of tourists is planned.
Despite the challenges, the city's tourism slogan “SHINE” ends with a reminder to prepare for the solar eclipse. “Enjoy this moment,” Temple said.
