Salem Emergency Management Agency Director Andrew Strong and Police Chief Kyle Ambuehl say preparations are continuing for what they anticipate will be an influx of 100,000 to 300,000 people to Southern Illinois to view the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th.
The two gave an update to about a dozen residents at a program held over the weekend at the Salem Bryan Bennett Library.
The total darkness in Salem is expected from 2:01 to 2:04 the afternoon of April 8th, lasting 2 minutes 47 seconds. While the total eclipse will be 4 to four and a half minutes long in Carbondale, Ambuehl says they are still anticipating a large number of visitors for the entire weekend that could strain emergency services.
Strong is asking residents to get ready at least a week ahead of the eclipse.
Ambuehl says Salem will be a hub for extra services from the state and cell phone service providers.
Ambuehl says cellular phone companies are already testing the capacity of their services and how to optimize the towers. Even so, the two warn cell service and internet could both be slowed or not function at all.
Ambuehl says from what happened in the Carbondale area during the last total eclipse that missed the Marion County area, they are also anticipating the possibility of those coming into the area trying to find any location to park or camp which could cause some trespassing problems. Some camping areas are being developed to assist with the need for places to stay. All Salem motels have been totally booked for the entire long weekend. Ambuehl notes during the last eclipse Salem ended up with just the traffic to and from the Carbondale area mainly from Chicago. This time Ambuehl anticipates traffic coming mainly from the south east, with Chicago residents more likely to travel to Indiana for the eclipse.
Strong says with Monday a traditional day of many businesses and restaurants being closed, he’s encouraging them to stay open the weekend and Monday of the eclipse to serve the anticipated large number of visitors. The City of Salem is preparing a website with information for area residents on preparing for the eclipse as well as a list of all activities being planned.
The Centralia Chamber of Commerce is taking the lead in Centralia for collecting information on events being planned for the total eclipse.
We’ll have further reports on preparations and the events planned around the eclipse as the date moves closer.
