Solar eclipse 2024: Johnson City preparing for thousands of visitors
JOHNSON CITY, Texas - Cities in the Hill Country are getting ready for the total solar eclipse that will pass over on April 8.
Smaller cities on the path of totality are preparing for the exponential volume of visitors.
Johnson City Mayor Stephanie Fisher says at least 75,000 people are expected to come through, many of them trying to get to Fredericksburg, wineries, and parks.
"They're not going to be able to get that far because we feel the morning traffic's going to back up, and it's just going to stop dead in the middle of [Hwy] 290," she said.
While Johnson City does get a lot of visitors during the Lights Spectacular, the number of eclipse visitors will be much greater than that.
"These streets get crammed, especially during Christmastime," resident Ty Tomlinson said. "I know locals will not enjoy [the eclipse traffic]."
Johnson City ISD will close schools that day.
The city has been preparing for two years.
General safety tips include wearing correct eyewear when looking at the eclipse, scheduling errands in advance, and stocking up on food and supplies early in the week.
"Our biggest thing is trying to equip our citizens for delayed access to emergency services, for them to prepare for our fuel to run low, to run low on food," Fisher said. "We are at the end of supply lines for food and fuel from the west and from the north."
The city is reminding people to only call 911 if it's an absolute emergency. You can also text 911. Expect possible delayed response times because of traffic.
MORE STORIES:
- These states have the most UFO sightings
- NASA announces potentially habitable ‘super-Earth,’ only 137 light-years away
- Geomagnetic storm could create Northern Lights display across northern US -- if only the clouds would go away
"That weekend and the day of are not the days for risky activities. Maybe not do too much horseback riding, don't trim the trees, don't clean out your gutters, it's a day to do low stress activities," Fisher said. "We do have some concerns about access to cellular services, they might become overwhelmed."
April Sansom, who works in Johnson City, says she's planning ahead for groceries and to work from home.
"Just trying to think ahead and be prepared and hope that the people who do come are respectful and hope that they understand that people live here, that this is a place where people live and work, and hope they have respect for that as they come to view what is a neat phenomenon," she said. "I'm really glad the city is preparing."
Fisher adds that Johnson City always welcomes visitors.
"We are a destination 365 days a year, not just the day of the eclipse," she said.
The city also recommends signing up for Warn Central Texas in case there is an emergency.