Dallas city leaders met Tuesday to update residents on the city's plans for the upcoming total solar eclipse and urge them to prepare.
“Plan now what you're going to do on Monday,” Dallas Emergency Preparedness Director Travis Houston said.
The city's emergency operations center is operational and city leaders are closely monitoring the forecast.
City leaders' remarks focused on wearing proper safety eyewear and plans to deal with crowds and traffic, especially large movements that could clog roads after the eclipse ends.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said all available officers will report to work on April 8th. Drivers are asked not to stop on the road to view the eclipse or attempt to view it while driving.
“We need to ensure that first responders can respond to emergencies and get to their local hospitals,” Garcia said.
Drivers are also urged to use public transport or carpool and keep their tanks full of gas in case there are long traffic delays.
City Councilor Gay Donnell Willis encouraged people to celebrate closer to home if possible.
“It's great to have everyone here, but it's going to add stress factors,” Willis said. “If you are an employer and your staff do not need to come to work on April 8th, think about that. Please think about that.”
Several watch parties are held around the city, including free events at Fair Park, White Rock Lake, and Kiest Park.
Samuel Farm Park in Dallas is expected to host more than 2,000 visitors over the three-day event.
Dallas ISD will hold classes on Monday, but parents are being warned that afternoon bus schedules may be delayed due to increased traffic.
Thanks to the Perot Museum, all students will be provided with eclipse glasses.
It's unclear how many visitors are expected to visit Dallas, but city leaders are relying on information shared from Nashville during the 2017 solar eclipse.
The city will see a 35% increase in population, which city leaders say will mean about 400,000 more visitors to Dallas.
Jennifer Walker with Visit Dallas said 90% of the city's 35,000 hotel rooms are booked and many visitors stay for multiple days.
Love Field is warning people to treat the days leading up to April 8 like a holiday trip, asking people to arrive at the airport 90 minutes early.
If you still need eclipse glasses, the Dallas Public Library is offering one free pair per person while supplies last.
To ease traffic, the Sanitation Department announced that garbage collection would be canceled on Monday and collection would be postponed until the next day.
A solar eclipse will occur over several hours in North Texas on April 8, 2024. The partial solar eclipse will begin at 12:23 p.m. and end at 3:02 p.m. The total solar eclipse will last just a few minutes, from about 1:40 to 1:44 p.m. Depending on the location, it may be in the afternoon. This event is truly a rare occasion. There won't be another total solar eclipse over the United States until 2044, and the National Weather Service says it won't occur in this region until 2317.
Solar eclipse path map
Would you like to see a solar eclipse? Please use proper eye protection!
Those viewing the solar eclipse on April 8 should view the partial solar eclipse only with proper eye protection.
Looking at the sun during a partial solar eclipse can cause solar retinopathy. Solar retinopathy is a condition that occurs when someone looks directly at the sun and damages the back of the eye or retina. Damage from solar retinopathy can be permanent, leading to a reduction in the overall clarity of a person's vision.
Sunglasses do not provide sufficient protection. Meeting ISO 12312-2 international standards, solar glasses are thousands of times darker than sunglasses.
Astronomer Rick Feinberg told NBC 5 Responds that it's not enough to just look for products that have an ISO designation printed on them. Anyone can print an ISO number on their glasses. Feinberg is a volunteer with the American Astronomical Society's Solar Eclipse Task Force, which maintains this list of solar viewing glass and equipment suppliers and distributors.
Please plan ahead. However, if you can't find enough Eclipse viewers for each person in your family, make a plan to share them.
If you have eclipse glasses from previous eclipses, make sure the filters are not torn, scratched, or punctured. Do not use if the filter is detached from the cardboard or plastic frame.
Even if you don't have glasses or equipment, there are ways to observe the eclipse indirectly. See this page for instructions.
It's safe to see the moon and corona in full without special glasses, but only while the moon completely covers the sun.
