Multiple counties or states have declared a state of emergency for the solar eclipse. Most of them have included a couple days before and after as well.
13 states are in the path of totality where the sun will be completely blocked by the moon. Of those states New York, Texas, and Indiana have issued preemptive states of emergency, mostly on the county level. Parts of Canada have as well.
Why is it an emergency?
The Solar Eclipse will cause a few interesting phenomenons but nothing worth warranting a state of emergency. Instead our natural curiosity will be driving an influx of people to a lot of rural locations that aren’t designed for high levels of traffic.
Officials are estimating nearly 1 to 4 million people will travel for the solar eclipse. The increased level of tourism and traffic could cause chaos for cities and roads that were not designed to handle all the extra traffic.
Declaring a state of emergency can add additional resources and personnel to be able to assist with the strain the extra travelers may cause.
Packing for the solar eclipse:
- Certified solar sunglasses
- Enough water for 2-3 days
- Food and snacks
- A full tank of gas
- Battery pack
- Toilet paper
- First aid kit
How to spend the night in your car
Real Time Solar Storm & Aurora Forecast
What to expect if you are in the path of totality
| Location | Partial Begins | Totality Begins | Maximum | Totality Ends | Partial Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, Texas | 12:23 p.m. CDT | 1:40 p.m. CDT | 1:42 p.m. CDT | 1:44 p.m. CDT | 3:02 p.m. CDT |
| Idabel, Oklahoma | 12:28 p.m. CDT | 1:45 p.m. CDT | 1:47 p.m. CDT | 1:49 p.m. CDT | 3:06 p.m. CDT |
| Little Rock, Arkansas | 12:33 p.m. CDT | 1:51 p.m. CDT | 1:52 p.m. CDT | 1:54 p.m. CDT | 3:11 p.m. CDT |
| Poplar Bluff, Missouri | 12:39 p.m. CDT | 1:56 p.m. CDT | 1:56 p.m. CDT | 2:00 p.m. CDT | 3:15 p.m. CDT |
| Paducah, Kentucky | 12:42 p.m. CDT | 2:00 p.m. CDT | 2:01 p.m. CDT | 2:02 p.m. CDT | 3:18 p.m. CDT |
| Carbondale, Illinois | 12:42 p.m. CDT | 1:59 p.m. CDT | 2:01 p.m. CDT | 2:03 p.m. CDT | 3:18 p.m. CDT |
| Evansville, Indiana | 12:45 p.m. CDT | 2:02 p.m. CDT | 2:04 p.m. CDT | 2:05 p.m. CDT | 3:20 p.m. CDT |
| Cleveland, Ohio | 1:59 p.m. EDT | 3:13 p.m. EDT | 3:15 p.m. EDT | 3:17 p.m. EDT | 4:29 p.m. EDT |
| Erie, Pennsylvania | 2:02 p.m. EDT | 3:16 p.m. EDT | 3:18 p.m. EDT | 3:20 p.m. EDT | 4:30 p.m. EDT |
| Buffalo, New York | 2:04 p.m. EDT | 3:18 p.m. EDT | 3:20 p.m. EDT | 3:22 p.m. EDT | 4:32 p.m. EDT |
| Burlington, Vermont | 2:14 p.m. EDT | 3:26 p.m. EDT | 3:27 p.m. EDT | 3:29 p.m. EDT | 4:37 p.m. EDT |
| Lancaster, New Hampshire | 2:16 p.m. EDT | 3:27 p.m. EDT | 3:29 p.m. EDT | 3:30 p.m. EDT | 4:38 p.m. EDT |
| Caribou, Maine | 2:22 p.m. EDT | 3:32 p.m. EDT | 3:33 p.m. EDT | 3:34 p.m. EDT | 4:40 p.m. EDT |
Expect a large influx of people in the day or two before the event. Fuel may be hard to find due to the increased demand. Fast food lines will likely be much longer than normal.
Traffic may be pulled off to the side of the road. Health care services and first responders may be
stretched further than typical.
While a solar eclipse isn’t enough to cause a true emergency our response to it likely will. In nearly the same way solar weather 100-200 years ago had little effect on our day to day lives. A massive solar storm would have only wowed the people in the southern states with the beautiful auroras.
Today our technology relies heavily on electronics that solar storms can wreak havoc on. If you’d like to learn about how solar storms could cause a real emergency check out our solar storm video.
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