The solar eclipse of 2024 sent the country into a frenzy on April 8th. This was the first solar eclipse since 2017, and this eclipse covered a much more populated path passing through Dallas, Austin, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Montreal. Because of this, states in the U.S. went all out for the eclipse.
The path of complete totality started in Mexico and went northeast through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan also experienced complete totality. An estimated 43.8 million people live in the path of complete totality and those who don’t traveled from all over the world to view the spectacle.
Considering factors like weather and time of the eclipse, North Texas was the busiest spot to view the eclipse. The Dallas-Fort Worth region was hit especially hard with eclipse viewer traffic. As a result, highways were very dangerous with people crowding into the narrow path of complete totality and then leaving in a short period of time. Because of this, the state of Texas banned oversized vehicles on highways in the eclipse’s path for the whole day, and put up road signs banning parking on the shoulder to view the eclipse. Towns in Texas also increased numbers of ambulances and emergency workers because of the drastic amount of people coming for the eclipse.
It was estimated that over one million people would travel to the state of Texas alone to view the eclipse. Some towns in Texas had been preparing for this eclipse after NASA predicted complete totality for their area two years prior to the 2024 eclipse. One of these small towns, Ennis, a town of 23,000, was expected to have over 150,000 visitors for the eclipse. With Ennis being located on the centerline of the path of complete totality, Ennis’ mayor began preparing for the large crowd two years before the eclipse. This planning paid off when Ennis was hit with thousands of eclipse viewers.
People all over the country went all out for this eclipse. Some began booking hotel rooms two years in advance to make sure they got to experience the eclipse in a complete totality area. Schools districts in the populated eclipse cities either canceled school for the day, or centered their school day around the eclipse. Those who don’t live in Mexico or the United States traveled from all over the world to view the eclipse. It was estimated that nearly four million people traveled from other countries to the United States to see the eclipse.
Overall, the 2024 eclipse was a major event, and the United States took advantage of the spectacle and went all out.
Works Cited
Carter, Jamie. “Will the total solar eclipse on April 8 be the most watched ever?” Space.com, 27 March 2024, https://www.space.com/will-the-april-total-solar-eclipse-2024-be-the-most-watched-eclipse-ever. Accessed 29 April 2024.
Interrante, Abbey. “How the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Is Different than the 2017 Eclipse.” NASA Science, 30 January 2024, https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/how-is-the-2024-total-solar-eclipse-different-than-the-2017-eclipse/. Accessed 29 April 2024.
PR Newswire. “1 to 4 million people are predicted travel to the Total Solar Eclipse, creating the biggest travel event of the year on April 8, 2024.” PR Newswire, 18 December 2023, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/1-to-4-million-people-are-predicted-travel-to-the-total-solar-eclipse-creating-the-biggest-travel-event-of-the-year-on-april-8-2024-302017447.html. Accessed 29 April 2024.
Scudder, Charlie. “’Extraordinary’: total solar eclipse wows watchers in north Texas.” The Guardian, 8 April 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/08/solar-eclipse-texas-watchers-reaction. Accessed 29 April 2024.
