CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – City and county officials, including emergency management personnel, are working to prepare for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21.
Since the city of Clarksville is within the path of totality, local leaders expect an influx of up to 200,000 people as tourists and visitors flock to the area.
As a result, Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan has opted to close city offices on Monday.
“We now think it would be prudent to close our business offices and keep employees and potential customers off the roads during this time of traffic congestion,” McMillan said.
SOLAR ECLIPSE 2017 EVENTS AND INFORMATION
CITY SERVICES
City Public Safety departments will be on duty as usual and all essential city services will continue. The City Parks & Recreation Department’s eclipse viewing event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at Liberty Park will continue as scheduled.
Clarksville Gas and Water administration and engineering offices, including the north and south customer service centers, also will be closed Monday. In the event of a gas, water or sewer emergency, customers should call, (931) 645-7400, or the emergency after-hours line, (931) 645-0116. The Utility Billing Line, (931) 645-7400, automated pay by phone; and WebConnect, www.clarksvillegw.com, online bill payment feature, will be operational.
CDE Lightband offices will also be closed Monday. In the event of a service outage, customers should call (931) 648-8151. Customers can go online at https://cdelightband.com/customer-service/ for service and bill paying information.
All City of Clarksville offices will reopen on Tuesday, Aug. 21 for regularly scheduled hours.
TRAFFIC
With up to 200,000 traveling to Clarksville-Montgomery County as early as the weekend, traffic will be much more congested than usual.
“The primary concern is keeping roads as clear as possible for first responders,” said Sandra Brandon, Public Information Officer for Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. “We encourage everyone to make a plan for Monday and stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”
Brandon said the county has established a plan with the school system and local fuel providers to make gas available for emergency personnel in the event of a shortage. Citizens are encouraged to gas up prior to the event to avoid a rush.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is installing temporary cameras along I-24 to monitor traffic and visitors. TDOT also urges people who are driving on the interstate or other main roads at the time of the eclipse NOT to pull over to watch. Find a safe place to watch the eclipse before travelling to avoid blocking the road for emergency personnel or causing traffic back ups.
The Clarksville Transit System will be running as scheduled on Monday. CTS officials urge riders to plan ahead and leave early in case of heavy traffic and possible delays. Or residents should consider taking a CTS bus to their destination that day.
EMERGENCIES
Montgomery County’s Emergency Management Agency will monitor 911 calls to look for upticks in traffic and emergency situations. Law enforcement officials and other first responders will be out in force over the weekend and on the day of the eclipse.
HOW TO PREPARE
• Fill up your gas tank before the rush
• Charge your cell phone and monitor local news reports
• Tune into the following 5-Star Media radio stations for updates every half hour on road conditions and other relevant news on the day of the eclipse:
• Q108, Beaver 100.3, Rewind 94.3, Z97.5, ESPN Clarksville 104.1, Outlaw 100.7, Sunny 99.1
• Get cash from an ATM in case systems are down
• Cell service and WiFi may be spotty
• Choose a place to watch the eclipse, either at a special event or at home, and avoid travelling on the roads
EYE SAFETY
Viewing the solar eclipse with the naked eye can cause permanent damage that may result in blindness. In order to view the eclipse, you must wear NASA-certified solar eclipse glasses during the entire event, except when the eclipse is in totality.
Only a few local businesses are still giving out free glasses, so don’t wait to get yours.
NASA has issued a safety alert about “unsafe eclipse glasses being distributed by unscrupulous companies.”
The agency is recommending consumers only use eclipse glasses with ISO 12312-2 printed on them that have been printed by the four following companies:
American Paper Optics, Rainbow Symphony, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17
For more information, visit ClarksvilleNow.com’s Solar Eclipse 2017 page.
