A small Texas town with the capacity to hold only 2,000 people is preparing for a mass influx of tourists ahead of a rare solar eclipse known as the ‘ring of fire.’
Predictions say up to 10,000 tourists are expected to flood into the town of Vanderpool in Bandera County at the weekend.
Residents fear the colossal numbers will ‘drain resources’ with many expected to prepare for the event similar to a natural disaster, KSAT reported.
Community leaders across Bandera County are warning residents to stock up gas and groceries in advance.
Vanderpool only has one gas station and one county store. There are neither restaurants nor public restrooms, raising concerns with the thousands expected to pack the town.
Predictions say up to 10,000 tourists are expected to flood into the town of Vanderpool in Bandera County at the weekend
The town only has one gas station and one county store. There are neither restaurants nor public restrooms
Ron Brown, the manager of Lost Maples Country Store, has been overstocking his shelves for more than two months to prepare for the weekend.
‘We brought in more. Hopefully, they’ll empty the store,’ he said. ‘Probably we will run low on gas and diesel.’
The store is the only gas and grocery option for those live in Vanderpool, a small town built with a capacity of about 2,000.
‘We will go as far as we can go,’ Brown said.
Community leaders are expecting slow cell service and standstill traffic, saying the roads in town are too narrow for cars to park on the ‘nonexistent’ shoulders.
‘We do not know exactly what we’re looking at,’ said Jody Rutherford, the Bandera County commissioner for Precinct 4. ‘We’ve had every kind of projection there is.’
‘We’re worried about people coming in and getting off on side roads and blocking the road where we can’t run emergency traffic.
‘We’re worried about emergencies and being able to take care of the people here,’ Rutherford said. ‘We’re concerned with safety.’
Beds, breakfast, trailer parks, and cabins have been booked through Sunday night
Community leaders are expecting slow cell service and standstill traffic, said Jody Rutherford (pictured), the Bandera County commissioner for Precinct 4
Beds, breakfast, trailer parks, and cabins have been booked through Sunday night, even though the busiest time for the eclipse is expected to be 10am through 2pm Saturday.
County officials recommend that visitors fill their gas tanks before arriving in the town and pack enough food to last through the night.
They also asked people coming through to take caution about trespassing and trash left after the eclipse viewing.
Bandera County has released an eclipse guide for the upcoming weekend, advising residents to complete errands beforehand, have cash available on hand, and obtain eye protection to view the eclipse.
Country leaders have prepared for the eclipse for two years and regard this weekend as a test run fort he total eclipse in April, 2024.
One Utopia Volunteer EMS’ ambulance has been stocked at the Vanderpool Volunteer Fire Department, Fire Chief Alfred Buckner said.
‘The crosshairs are right up the road, about five miles,’ Buckner said.
The ‘Ring of fire’ will be the first time in 11 years that an annular solar eclipse has been visible in North America
Millions of people will be set to see a celestial wonder on Saturday when the moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun, creating a ‘Ring of Fire’ in the sky.
This will be the first time in 11 years that an annular solar eclipse has been visible in North America.
The cosmic event will occur on October 14, starting at 12:13 pm ET in Oregon and concluding three hours later in Texas.
Experts are warning spectators not to look directly at the sun without eye protection, such as solar eclipse glasses.
Approximately eight US states will be in the Ring of Fire’s path: Oregon, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Texas.
Experts warn that looking directly at the bright sun is unsafe without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing, risking eye injury
This year’s annular solar eclipse will run along a 125-mile-long path from Oregon to Brazil
A solar eclipse happens when the moon journeys between Earth and the sun, blocking the view along a small path of Earth of some or all of the sun’s face as it passes.
The one that will occur on October 14 is an ‘annular solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun at a time when the moon is at or close to its farthest point from our planet.
It does not entirely obscure the face of the sun, unlike in a total solar eclipse.
Because the moon is farther than usual from Earth during an annular solar eclipse, the moon will not completely obscure the sun, instead looking like a dark disk superimposed atop the sun’s larger, bright face in the sky.
As a result, the eclipse will momentarily look like a ring of fire surrounding the dark disc of the moon.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
Content source – www.soundhealthandlastingwealth.com
