As the April 8 total solar eclipse approaches, Waco-area public safety planners have shifted their concern from the size of viewing crowds to the number of vehicles driving through on major roads.
The Waco-McLennan County Office of Emergency Management is continuing to prepare for an influx of some 100,000 people, coordinator Ryan Dirker said.
“But we’re more concerned about the vehicular traffic on major thoroughfares passing through the county on the way to to somewhere else, than we are about the numbers of people staying here or the size of crowds gathering to watch,” Dirker said by phone Thursday.
When Dirker and other state and local public safety leaders began planning for the eclipse months ago, they were at first concerned about overwhelming crowds of people and runs on grocery stories.
But since then, supermarket chains have participated in the planning meetings, and Dirker sees that they are increasing orders of staple items.
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“We want people to come to our county and watch the eclipse and take advantage of all the great events being planned, but we want them to be sure they have the supplies they will need to be healthy and safe while they get there, watch the event and get back,” Dirker said.
Ryan Dirker, coordinator with the Waco-McLennan County Office of Emergency Management, adjusts a map of Waco and outlying areas while talking about the upcoming solar eclipse in April.
McLennan and adjacent counties in the eclipse’s path of totality, meaning the moon will block the outline of the sun. In Greater Waco, the totality will last from 1:38 p.m. to 1:42 p.m., creating four minutes of night in the middle of the afternoon.
The moon will begin to cross the sun around 12:30 and move completely out from it by around 3 p.m.
Bell County is going a step further with preparations. An emergency declaration signed this past week by County Judge David Blackburn and up for commissioner approval this coming week allows local governments to seek assistance and equipment from state agencies if necessary for the eclipse.
The declaration also requires anyone hosting a gathering of 50 people or more, or any landowner renting space for camping to 50 people or more to register their event and prove they have adequate bathroom and waste disposal facilities.
Blackburn and Bell County public safety leaders said they expect a flood of out-of-town visitors starting several days before the eclipse, some camping in rural spots they rent from landowners.
“My concerns are that our first responders may need to get to an incident to help in one of those pastures or fields, and also for the health of those who gather,” Blackburn said.
The registration requires landowners to provide locations and how many people will be there. The bathrooms and sanitation aren’t legally required, Blackburn said.
“But we certainly want landowners to give careful consideration to sanitation, cleanliness and what waste may be left behind,” Blackburn said. “We have a health district that can help them and give recommendations.”
In McLennan County, officials are expecting most of the large gatherings to occur inside cities, County Administrator Dustin Chapman said in an email Friday.
“None of the events the county is aware of in the unincorporated areas of the county appear to trigger the mass gathering statutes, which provide that a promoter will ensure that minimum standards of sanitation and health will be maintained during the mass gathering,” Chapman said.
To trigger the mass gathering laws, an event would have to be in a rural area outside a town or city and meet several criteria. It would have to host more than 2,500 people, or more than 500 if more than half would be younger than 21, with alcoholic beverages would be available. The event would have to last more than five hours, or in the hours between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
McLennan County commissioners are still studying all options, Chapman said.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District is aware that private rural landowners may choose to rent out spots for the eclipse viewing, and urges participants to clean up after themselves, spokesperson Clare Paul said in a Friday email.
She said rules and regulations apply to waste from overflowing septic tanks, even on RVs, to prevent waterborne diseases.
Any landowner or eclipse watcher who wanted to make First Amendment freedom of assembly challenge to a requirement for registration or for bathroom and sanitary considerations, would have weak claim, Baylor University law professor Brian Serr said in a Thursday interview.
“In almost all cases, the U.S. Supreme Court allows restrictions on time, place and manner, that don’t affect content, and that’s what these requirements for registration, health and safety are,” Serr said.
In Woodway, no overnight parking will be allowed in city parks, public safety director Khalil El-Halabi said in a Wednesday email. El-Halabi is also concerned about traffic.
“We will have several extra personnel on duty and working our parks, as well as our highways,” El-Halabi said. “Officers have been assigned to designated areas as well as assigned to man fire trucks for active calls or traffic control.”
Meanwhile, American Medical Response first responders across the city have been extensively planning for the eclipse, said Dr. Rama Heyratifar, AMR’s medical director. Waco and surrounding cities contract with AMR for ambulance response, paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
“There will be a large influx of tourists and traffic delays should be anticipated,” Heyratifar said. “Our EMS system is planning to augment their capabilities that day, including physician scene response.”
AMR will be staffing medical response teams at viewing events in the coverage area, including Baylor and city of Waco, officials said. Additional quick response vehicles will be staffed on the day of the eclipse in anticipation of navigating traffic impediments.
Heyratifar recommends planning travel in advance and avoiding non-essential travel.
“Expect significant traffic on major roadways,” he said. “Stay informed about traffic and potential road closures through official channels and local news.”
He recommends a backup plan to communicate with loved ones by text message, walkie-talkies or pre-arranged meeting places, in case cellphone towers are overloaded.
“Keep a full gas tank, water, first aid, medications, and other supplies with you,” Heyratifar said. “Supervise children and ensure they are not looking directly into the sun. Wear skin protection like sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats.”
Senior leaders of AMR will also be stationed in emergency operations centers for Waco, McLennan County and Baylor, and additional personnel will be ready and available to activate as needed to respond emergency medical situations.
