East Idaho residents will have a front-row seat to a rare, once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event on Monday.
But the local population won’t be alone for the big show. The Great American Eclipse, which will occur around 11:30 a.m. Monday, is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of eclipse watchers to the region, possibly the most people the region has ever seen at one time.
This sudden influx of people is expected to put massive pressure on East Idaho’s infrastructure and cause potentially deadly situations for both visitors and residents alike.
However, the state’s police and emergency managers are providing tips on how both residents and visiting eclipse viewers can protect themselves from traffic hazards, crime, fires and potential cell phone service outages.
For one, officials say that anybody traveling around the region on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday need to be prepared for traffic delays, congestion and extended travel times.
Since last year, Idaho State Police has been working with numerous other state agencies to prepare for the onslaught of traffic expected on east Idaho’s roadways. It’ll be all hands on deck for the troopers in Idaho State Police’s District 5 office in Pocatello. The District 5 office will have one patrol every 15 miles between the Utah border and Shelley.
Luckily, the Idaho Transportation Department has temporarily suspended all of the construction projects currently underway on Interstate 15 to help ease traffic woes. Construction will begin again on Wednesday.
But with potential bumper-to-bumper traffic, particularly in the hours after the eclipse, state officials are advising any travelers to make sure they have a full tank of gas before they go anywhere, even if it is normally a short trip.
“Even if you are only going 20 miles, you and thousands of other people might be going the same way,” said Elizabeth Duncan, public affairs officer with the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.
Duncan said it is vital that motorists carry plenty of food and water in case they are stuck in traffic for extended periods of time. She said the vehicle should have 1 gallon of water for each person and each pet.
But besides stocking up on food, water and fuel for trips over the next few days, Captain Eric Dayley of the Idaho State Police said motorists also need to bring something else on the road with them.
“We want people to bring an ample supply of patience,” Dayley said. “There’s going to be a lot of traffic. Probably the most traffic I’ve seen in my 33-year career.”
To prevent the accidental ignition of a wildfire, the Idaho Office of Emergency Management is asking motorists to avoid pulling off onto the side of the road.
“We are in the middle of a wildfire season and there’s a lot of cheatgrass and combustible elements on the side of the roads right now,” Duncan said. “It creates a terrible hazard for everybody.”
In the right conditions, vehicles can spark deadly fires. On Tuesday in north-central Montana, an Ohio woman died after the vehicle she was traveling in ignited a series of grass fires as it moved down a grass-covered road. The flames spread to the vehicle, lighting it ablaze and killing the woman, according to the Associated Press.
Another major issue that the state’s emergency managers said residents and visitors need to prepare for is the possible disruption of cellphone and Wi-Fi services across the region due to so many people overloading the local networks.
“There’s a high likelihood that cellphone service won’t be as reliable in certain areas of Idaho,” Duncan said. “Just remember that texts usually get through faster than a voice call.”
Officials are also advising that both residents and travelers should stay close to a landline phone in case cellphone services go down.
If landline internet services become unavailable, some gas stations and convenience stores might not be able to process purchases with debit or credit cards.
Due to this possibility, Dayley said it is a good idea for travelers to carry some cash with them, at least enough to purchase food, water and enough fuel to fill up the gas tank.
Carrying cash leads to another potential problem. With so many groups of people coming to East Idaho, authorities are also preparing for a possible increase in crime and the presence of pickpockets.
“You should have enough of what you need, but don’t go running around with 40K in your pocket,” Dayley said. “Use common sense. People should make sure to lock their doors and lock their cars.”
And when the main event finally arrives on Monday and eclipse totality occurs, those lucky enough to view it in East Idaho need to protect their eyes.
By using a pinhole projector or a special pair of eclipse glasses that can be purchased at many area gas stations and stores, residents will be able to witness the astronomical event without suffering severe eye damage.
Lou Tomososki is a 70-year-old Oregon man who watched a partial solar eclipse with his naked eyes in 1962. Though he only looked at the eclipse for a few seconds, he told the Today Show that his right eye was permanently damaged from the experience. He still has vision problems 55 years later.
“Nothing has changed,” Tomososki told the Today Show about the condition of his right eye. “It doesn’t get any worse or better.”
For live traffic updates during the next few days, motorists can visit the Idaho Transportation Department’s 511 website at hb.511.idaho.gov, or download the 511 app for either Apple and Android devices. Emergency-related public information will be posted on social media under the hashtag #IdEclipseUpdates.
