Second Contact

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho They’re not exactly preparing for World War III, but as fighter jets screamed over Idaho Falls during the recent Blue Thunder Air Show, it was something of a metaphor.

The big crowds for the air show provided a useful warmup for public agencies that may have to handle the challenges of much bigger crowds during the upcoming Great American Eclipse.

“Working together and communicating, it gives us very good practice for what we’ll see for the eclipse,” Idaho Falls Fire Chief Dave Hanneman said.

Hanneman is serving as eclipse incident commander for a variety of government agencies in eastern Idaho, many of which will be involved in emergency response if eclipse crowds generate problems or even a disaster.

Across the country, some jurisdictions have already issued emergency declarations as they prepare for an onslaught of visitors. The total solar eclipse will be visible in 14 states on the morning of Monday, Aug. 21.

Beginning in midmorning, the moon’s shadow will sweep across America from coast to coast, coming ashore in western Oregon and heading back out to sea at Charleston, South Carolina.

Oregon is even calling out the National Guard.

The reality, though, is there’s no way to predict how many visitors will flock to any given location.

“We’re anticipating anywhere from 50,000 people to come into our region, all the way to 500,000,” Hanneman said.

Such crowds could dwarf the mass gathering at the air show, which drew tens of thousands of visitors from 25 states. But many of the air show planning issues overlap with eclipse preparations.

Agencies will have to stand by for medical emergencies.

Officials have to ensure adequate toilets. For months there have been worries about shortages of port-a-potties on Aug. 21.

Health authorities theoretically have to make sure food vendors are properly permitted to ensure safe food for visitors.

“There’s a lot of people who want to make a little bit of money on this event,” said Nathan Taylor, with Eastern Idaho Public Health. “They may try to do things they’re not used to doing, and they don’t have the proper equipment and a way to keep things cold and hot and (to) serve safe.”

Taylor acknowledged there is no way to be sure that hundreds or thousands of potential food handlers will be properly permitted, let alone inspected.

Another big worry is that crowds might flock into rural areas and increase the risk of wildfires. It’s assumed that many inexperienced people will be camping in remote places, some without any knowledge of fire safety practices.

Even noncampers could raise the risk: If a visitor parks a car over dry grass, a hot catalytic converter could spark a blaze. In addition to worries that wildfire smoke could obscure the eclipse for many visitors, there are major safety concerns.

“A wildfire could be very dangerous with the amount of people that are planning on camping and enjoying the outdoors,” said Mike Taylor, brother of Nathan Taylor, who also works at Eastern Idaho Public Health.

A nightmare scenario for planners is what they call “an event within the event.” If visitors for “eclipse weekend” trigger a disaster say a catastrophic wildfire or a tour bus crash with mass casualties it could pull all the emergency agencies into one situation.

“It could cause us to run short on resources,” Mike Taylor said.

A more basic issue is whether there will be enough everyday necessities for crowds of visitors.

“We’re worried about (there) being enough food in the grocery store,” said Twila Blakeman, mayor of Dubois, Wyoming. “We’re worried about enough food in the cafes. We’re worried about enough fuel for everybody.”

Merchants along the 2,500-mile “path of totality” have ordered extra supplies, so some argue that shortages are unlikely.

“I don’t think we’re in that position,” said Anna Olson, president and CEO of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. “I think that everybody is working out to get the most (supplies) that we can.”

An overarching issue for planners is the potential for major traffic problems, particularly in a tourist mecca like Jackson Hole, where park rangers at Grand Teton National Park are expecting their busiest day in history.

“We’re used to some gridlock,” said Carl Pelletier, public information officer for Jackson, Wyoming. “Are we going to have more? Probably. Will we survive it? Probably. We will.”

It’s considered a given in Idaho Falls that once the eclipse is over, thousands of cars will jam onto the southbound lanes of I-15. That stretch of freeway not only leads to Salt Lake City, but also to one of the nightmare scenarios: What if there’s an epic traffic jam south of Idaho Falls? Will thousands sit in their cars and swelter in the afternoon sun on Aug. 21?

Contingency plans call for public agencies to use a northbound lane for emergencies.

“If we need to take emergency vehicles south on the northbound lane, we’re going to do that,” Hanneman said.

And what if cars on the freeway start running out of gas?

“Gas is going to be an issue on the freeway,” he said. “The (Idaho) Department of Transportation is going to have trucks carrying gas to help people just for that situation.”

There are also contingency plans for landing medical helicopters on I-15.

“I would recommend that you have some supplies in your car,” said Coleen Niemann, spokeswoman for Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, “like water and some basic snacks in case you are stuck in the car for a long time.”

If it all sounds a bit unlikely and more like a movie scene from “Mad Max Meets I-15” well, the public agencies are just trying to be prepared.

“We’re hoping that it doesn’t get that bad,” Hanneman said. “But we need to anticipate that it could be that bad.”

But many say there’s no way to know if the negatives will outweigh the positives of public excitement over the eclipse.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Olson, standing in front of her Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce office. “Jackson is going to embrace everyone that comes here. We are looking at this as a positive thing.”

In fact, what if the sun puts on a party and nobody comes? Could the outcome be similar to New Years Eve 2000 the disaster that never was?

“We’re planning for the worst,” Hanneman said. “It could be a Y2K event where we planned a lot for Y2K and for things to go bad. And it didn’t.”

The only thing that’s certain: There will be an eclipse on Aug. 21, whether crowds are on hand to see it or not.

The solar eclipse might do some strange things to animals 

The upcoming Aug. 21 total solar eclipse will shroud thousands of people in temporary darkness across the continental United States. But we’re not the only ones affected. Animals may react strangely to the event.

Though “there has not been a lot of serious research done on animal behavior” during a solar eclipses, according to Fienberg, a handful of observational reports have cropped up over the last few decades.

There are stories of sudden silence from screeching cicadas in Tuscon, Arizona, starting when the sun was about 50% covered.

And as a false sense of night drew near, bees in India grew restless and started leaving their hives and captive squirrels in California reportedly became more active.

“What basically happens is the natural world gets confused,” Fienberg said. “Sunrise has already occurred and [animals are] going about their normal daily business when, all the sudden, it gets dark — and pretty fast.” Read more (8/10/17)

The total solar eclipse on August 21 will trace a narrow path across the nation, although most of the U.S. will see a partial eclipse. Here’s what to do before, during and after the eclipse, plus how you can become a citizen scientist helping us with eclipse observations.

Not everyone can travel to the path of totality, so here are some things you can do whether you see totality or a partial eclipse. 

Collecting Citizen Science

Want to be a citizen scientist? 

Before the eclipse, make and pack your very own eclipse toolkit, containing a notebook, pen, a clock, a stopwatch, the front page of a newspaper, a thermometer, and a stick with a piece of crepe paper tied to it. Don’t forget your assistant, who will help conduct science observations. 

Practice using a citizen scientist phone app, like our GLOBE app to study clouds, air and surface temperatures and other observations. Go to the location where you plan to observe the eclipse and check for any obstructions. You may want to focus on only one activity as the eclipse will last less than 3 minutes … or just really experience the eclipse. 

Cell phones don’t take eclipse video! And plan to have your safe eclipse-viewing glasses within reach for before and after totality. Just before totality, if you have a good view of the horizon, look west to see the approaching shadow. After totality, look east low on the horizon for the departing shadow.

During totality, look for stars. You should be able to see the star Regulus in the solar corona or the stars of Orion.

During totality, we may see moving bands of shadows, like on the bottom of a swimming pool.

How dark does it get at totality? Look at the newspaper you brought with you. What is the smallest print you can read?

How much does the temperature drop? Does the wind stop or change direction?

Use your hands, a sheet of paper with a hole in it, a kitchen colander or any other object with one or more holes to use as a pinhole projector. You’ll be able to see the crescent shape of the sun projected through the holes.

Find out more about the eclipse, including eclipse safety, at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov