Urgent warning issued by scientists ahead of total solar eclipse in US
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
There is no doubt that total solar eclipses are an exciting moment, particularly due to how uncommon they are.
When the Moon passes at the perfect moment between the Earth and Sun in the rare phenomenon, a truly speculator moment is happening.
With the sun completely blocked, that moment of pure darkness in the middle day is certainly surreal for those lucky enough to have ever witnessed one.
A normal solar eclipse happens between two and five times every year, but a total solar eclipse is a lot less common.
Advert
They typically occur once every 18 months, or even longer.
Well, the next total eclipse is taking place in the US on 8 April, something that is expected to be visible from Canada all the way through to Mexico.
Of course, there is a lot to be excited for with this monumental event, but there are some safety concerns we all need to be aware of.
Many will be travelling far and wide to get the best vantage point to see the eclipse, so the roads are expected to be busy.
Aixa Diaz, a spokesperson for the American Automobile Association, warned USA Today readers: "Pack your patience, whether traveling a great distance or locally, people will be out and about to catch a glimpse of the eclipse."
In previous total eclipse moments, for example in 2017, some areas were reportedly hit with 13 hours worth of congestion.
Dave Freeman, Lorain County EMA director, said: "What we could have are crowds here that we’re not used to. We’re not set up infrastructure-wise for that, we don’t have the roads."
Ahead of the eclipse likely stopping America in its tracks early next month, residents in Lorain County have been urged to fill up their vehicles with petrol, while also stocking up on food and drink.
Not only that, it has been advised to avoid scheduling appointments on the day of the eclipse and to avoid travelling all together over the weekend prior.
Lorain is located on the edge of the eclipse's central path.
"A lot of the roads here are two lanes," Freeman went on, as per Yahoo! News.
"This is not Chicago, this is not Cleveland, where we have a bunch of four-lane, six-lane roads coming in so the traffic could be pretty extreme here if we get crowds more than we expect."
As for the big event itself, that is expected to last between two and four minutes.
Meanwhile, the EMA has warned that there could be some issues will cell phone signal during the event due to an increase of activity.