Unprecedented traffic jams and mobile outages expected for North Country solar eclipse viewers
By Patrick Tine, Times Union
Twelve-hour gridlock on remote mountain roads, widespread mobile phone outages from overloaded cell towers, dry gas pumps and police distributing military rations to stranded travelers.
All this and more may await visitors to the North Country hoping to get a glimpse of the total solar eclipse on April 8. State Police in Ray Brook have an emergency plan with lengthy guidelines and stern warnings for travelers. The population of many parts of the Adirondack Mountains is expected to double in the days around the event.
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Troopers expect sizable transportation disruptions leading to stranded drivers, delayed response times for people in distress, and a spike in 911 calls. The influx could cause increased demand for food, water and fuel and drivers are advised to keep extra supplies in their vehicles and shop for them the day before the eclipse.
Cellphones should remain charged and visitors should bring chargers with them, police said.
As Adirondack Explorer previously reported, Tupper Lake will be putting an advertisement in the local newspaper next week telling locals to stock up early.
“I’ve got to be honest with you. I’m scared as hell,” said Supervisor Rick Datolla.
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Total solar eclipse coverage
Your guide to the 2024 total solar eclipse in the Adirondacks
Police prepare
The state will be establishing a regional operation center at the State Police Troop B headquarters in Ray Brook. Troopers will be deploying “strike teams” to monitor traffic and resolve incidents as quickly as possible. The teams will be outfitted with military-style MRE rations and water for those who may become stranded.
They advise visitors traveling to see the eclipse to spend the night in the area rather than attempt to leave the North Country after the path of totality passes from 3:22 to 3:27 p.m. While visitors are planning to arrive in the area at different times, everybody leaving at once is likely to cause major traffic problems. Troopers are telling drivers to plan to be in traffic for between four and 12 hours after the eclipse.
If visitors cannot stay the night, drivers should fuel up the day before the eclipse. Drivers of electric cars should plan to have at least 10 hours of battery life to leave the area safely. Electric vehicles that run out of battery power in traffic will be towed, police said.
The traffic situation has the potential to become so severe that local students could end up stranded on school buses. Police are recommending schools cancel classes or at least give students a half-day on April 8.
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Troopers plan to position ATVs, snowmobiles and drones to assist with the emergency plan.
Troopers said any sort of severe weather will further complicate matters, warning: “Climate and conditions will be unpredictable!”
Echoing guidance from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, troopers are imploring visitors to witness the eclipse from designated viewing sites and not to venture onto the High Peaks or undesignated sections of the Adirondack Park unless they have serious hiking experience.
Well the local businesses and chambers have been promoting the heck out of this for the last year. Unfortunately the area doesn’t really have the infrastructure or resources needed for the crowds they will get. I will be hunkered down at a campsite in the Alleghany, good luck to all those in the adks, be safe and enjoy the day
Agreed , millions are being spent on promoting the Adirondacks adding to the issue created by the covid run of people buying and building to over-saturation in many small towns , along with over inflated home prices locals can no longer find or afford housing , as well increasing the overall tax base for year residence.
Next up Affordable Housing Developments for the 20,000 new immigrants getting UN Green Deal jobs inside the park !
Just unbelievable for the For-Ever Wild premise set in place inside the blue line .
This hype is reminiscent of the Y2K panic..
What happens if, as a result of some unanticipated celestial phenomenon, the sun does not emerge from behind the moon?
william c hill said:
“This hype is reminiscent of the Y2K panic..”
For many months BEFORE Y2K, tens of thousands of software developers worked long hours solving deep puzzles to rewrite (usually) other people’s code, to prevent nearly ALL of those dire predictions from ever coming true. Ever. It’s been fixed.
Once again, users, YOU’RE WELCOME! It’s great to be appreciated. 😛 !!!
Can’t do anything about leaf- and eclipse-peepers, though. You’ll have to save your own bacon this time.
KenG.
I will be at my deer camp enjoying the view for 3 days
If we have an overcast day we can all enjoy the local saloons and pretend we are viewing a “totality” that’s what tequilla’s for.
Bobby R. 4th Lake.
Indian Lake scarfed up a lot of “Port a Potties” as soon as they thought about the problem but mostly I don’t see that anyone is talking about what happens when thousands of people travel many miles and stay for many hours in central view sites. Sewer systems are not necessarily built for massive numbers of users in a short time.
We went to southern Idaho for the last one. There were dire warnings about gas and food. The town set up a huge tent with food and drinks. Bottom line most of the food went to waste and gas was no problem. However the nearest city was Jackson Hole. NYC and Montreal could make it much worse I imagine.
All this for 5 minutes of darkness? I will watch on the Whiteface webcam from my livingroom, thank you.