April 8′s total eclipse is expected to attract thousands of people to parts of the Hill Country.
Traffic is one of the bigger concerns as folks venture out to view the once-in-a-lifetime event, so emergency managers, along with city and county leaders, have been actively preparing ahead of the influx of visitors.
Hill Country Preparations
Preparation for April’s total eclipse is a conversation that’s been going on for years in San Antonio and the Hill Country.
“They’ve been having these conversations since 2017 because it was announced that we would be in totality for the next one,” said Leslie Jones, publicity and communications manager with the Kerrville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
Kerr and Kendall counties’ judges have signed disaster declarations ahead of the eclipse, citing expected traffic issues and a potential strain on resources like first responders, food, and fuel.
“We expect that kind of visiting traffic here to cause extreme traffic congestion on our roadways, place an enormous strain on our first responders and hospital systems, drain our food and fuel supplies and strain our city and county infrastructure to, quite possibly, over capacity,” Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly stated in a news release.
Traffic is expected to be one of the bigger issues. Leaders on both the city and county levels in the Hill Country have been working with various departments to plan ahead to help combat the congestion.
“Traffic is definitely the biggest thing... TXDOT, DPS, FBI, local state, county officials, all across the board... we’ve been meeting with everybody just to make sure we’re all on the same page,” said Chris Shadrock, communications manager with the City of Boerne.
Similar preparations have been taking place just up the road in Kerrville, where Police Chief Chris McCall stated that they are actively working to mitigate traffic issues that arise.
“We’re working to mitigate as many of those issues as we can. You notice I say mitigate... we’re not going to solve that issue, but we want to do the best we can to move traffic through the city,” said McCall. “We’re partnering with TxDOT on that and have been in the works with them for about the last year, working through traffic plans to help handle that amount of traffic in our community.”
While that is something that will be monitored very closely leading up to and following the eclipse, officials also stress that local resources like grocery stores are doing what they can to prepare ahead of time.
“Our retailers are preparing for this. They know that there are going to be more people. They, too, are preparing for that increase so that way, they can adjust accordingly,” said Shadrock.
Tips from TxDOT
If you are planning on hitting the roadways close to the time of the eclipse, TxDOT sent over these safety tips:
- Expect heavy traffic and sudden stops by drivers.
- Be on alert for distracted pedestrians looking to the sky.
- Keep your headlights on while driving, even in daylight.
- Do not wear your eclipse glasses while driving.
- Always keep your eyes on the road. Only view the eclipse once safely parked away from the flow of traffic.
Prepare and have fun!
Preparation is key to enjoying the eclipse safely and successfully.
“If you are prepared ahead, you can enjoy this day. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event!” said Shadrock.
Since internet and Wi-Fi could be affected during this time, officials also suggest printing out maps or anything that you may resource digitally, carry some extra cash, and bring any supplies that you think you may need.
It also wouldn’t hurt to purchase parking tickets or spots in advance if able to do so, and fill up on gas ahead of time if there is a possibility you may be sitting in traffic for a while.
“Just kind of prepare beforehand, and with that in mind, I think we’re all going to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event successfully and wonderfully,” said Jones.
What about Bexar County?
As far as what officials are expecting in San Antonio, Bexar County emergency managers are monitoring the situation closely but do not have any current plans to sign a disaster declaration.
“Bexar County Office of Emergency Management (BCOEM) is in contact with our partners and stakeholders locally as well as the surrounding counties in preparations for the Solar Eclipse on April 8th, 2024,” said Michael Morlan, deputy chief with the Bexar County Office of Emergency Management. “At this time, we do not foresee Bexar County submitting a disaster declaration. However, we will continue to assess the situation as it progresses to ensure the safety of our citizens and the needs of our response partners, including assisting surrounding communities upon request.”
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