City and county officials provided information about the comprehensive planning effort underway ahead of next month’s total solar eclipse during a community meeting held Thursday evening, March 7.
Whitney Operations Director Billy Pribble told those gathered that planning has been underway for months at the county and city levels. He pointed out that the city is not planning any official event and is focusing on safety as the area welcomes an influx of visitors from all over the world. “We never really had that on the books,” he said. “We felt like this event was going to overextend our resources as a county as it was, and these people are going to come regardless of whether we’re having an event or not. We want to make sure we have enough assets for our citizens.”
With Hill County in the path of totality, people from all over the world who are interested in viewing a total solar eclipse have already booked stays in the area. On Monday, April 8, the total eclipse in Whitney will begin at 1:38 p.m. and last four minutes and 20 seconds, but effects of the eclipse will be observable from 12:21 p.m. to 3:01 p.m.
Estimates from Great American Eclipse (www.greatamericaneclipse.com) show that 30,000 to 60,000 people could visit the City of Hillsboro alone. Hill County Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Jackson pointed out that this is just inside the city limits and doesn’t include the rest of Hill County. Aquilla is actually the best spot in the county to view the eclipse, and the entire county is in the path of totality.
“You will hear one commonality no matter where you go to eclipse meetings — we just don’t know,” Pribble said about the number of visitors to expect. “This hasn’t happened in any of our lifetimes and won’t happen again in our lifetimes.”
With over a year of planning behind them, Jackson and Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Hemrick told the crowd that the county is as prepared as possible for the unexpected. “You can only plan so much,” Hemrick said. “I believe we are very well equipped to handle anything that happens just relying on our community and the county and our regional partners.” Still, Hemrick said that the unknown is what concerns him. “It’s just those things you don’t know,” he said. “If we get all these people here and have a major storm, you just don’t know.”
The presenters emphasized that there is no need to panic, but residents should be prepared and also look forward to enjoying the eclipse themselves. “We want everybody to enjoy this — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Hemrick said. “It’s not going to ever happen to any of us again, so I don’t want it to be something we regret happening. I want it to be something we can enjoy and look back on.”
Local residents were encouraged to prepare their own households for the increase in population before the crowds arrive. Visitors are expected to begin filtering in by Thursday, April 4, but locals should consider buying groceries, getting prescriptions and fueling vehicles by April 1 to allow stores to restock before the crowds arrive.
Pribble said that while it is important to be prepared, it should be noted that this is a brief event, and there is no need to panic buy. “Don’t buy all the toilet paper,” he said. “We want you to get what you need to get through the week.” Residents were also encouraged to check on their neighbors who may be elderly or on a fixed income and unable to obtain needed items before the eclipse.
Whitney ISD and most other area schools will not be in session on the day of the eclipse. Some businesses are also closing, while others are stocking up and preparing for a busy few days.
The biggest concern is traffic, particularly when the visitors start leaving at the same time after the eclipse. For that reason, city officials encouraged residents to stay put and enjoy the eclipse from home, if possible. Backup plans are being made to decrease the risk of emergency vehicles being stuck in traffic, and city officials said that police, fire and EMS crews will be staged at various locations around the city to make access easier.
With resources strained and the traffic situation uncertain, residents were also asked not to call 9-1-1 unless they are experiencing a true emergency. “If you’re in a minor fender bender and nobody is injured, get your car off the road and exchange information,” Gilmore said.
Police Chief Kyle Nevil said that he will have extra officers working throughout the event, and officers are trained on CPR and lifesaving measures. He pointed out that 9-1-1 calls, which are answered through the Hill County Sheriff’s Office, will be prioritized due to the number of expected visitors.
CareFlite, which provides ambulance service for the Emergency Services District 2 area outside of the cities of Whitney and Hillsboro, will have additional ambulances in the county during the eclipse, and Jackson said that CareFlite will also have an advanced life support utility vehicle stationed at Lake Whitney State Park, which is fully booked with campers.
Pribble added that this is also not the time to take unnecessary risks. “If you’ve ever thought about taking up rollerblading, this is not the weekend to do it,” he said. “EMS response is going to be hindered by traffic. We need to be cautious of that.”
Jackson said that AT&T and Verizon have indicated that they don’t expect problems with cellular service as far as making phone calls, but it is likely that internet service will be slower due to the number of users in the area. “If you’re at home and you’re planning on Netflix working, you might pull out an old DVD player,” Fire Chief David Gilmore added.
Jackson and Hemrick encouraged anyone planning to hold events or welcome campers on the properties to let Hill County Emergency Management know ahead of time. The office is keeping a map of large gatherings handy for emergency response purposes. Events and lodging locations can be reported at hilloem.com/eclipse or by calling the office at 254-582-2023.
“We will get through this,” Pribble said. “We will get through this safely, and we’re going to have fun.”
It is important for residents and visitors to note that looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief phase of totality, when the moon entirely blocks the sun. The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse safety glasses or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark or polarized lenses, are not safe for looking at the sun.
Eclipse glasses and hand-held solar viewers should meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products. Exercise caution when purchasing eclipse glasses online, as some do not meet safety requirements. The Lake Whitney Chamber of Commerce also has eclipse glasses available for $2 each.
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