BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — With Buffalo set to be a hot spot for watching the total solar eclipse on April 8, Visit Buffalo Niagara hosted an emergency preparedness workshop Thursday for hotels and restaurants to prepare for the massive amount of people expected in our region.
“Could it be a million? It could be a million, maybe it's a half million, but even a half million more people in our county would be a huge amount,” remarked Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. “The traffic is going to be horrible."
County Executive Poloncarz recommends businesses close if they can. The county is shutting down that day treating it like a major snow emergency.
“That’s why we're also asking businesses to close because the less traffic on the roads, when we must respond to an emergency, it makes it easier for us to do this rather than a traffic standstill,” explained Poloncarz.
“With the numbers that are being suggested to come to Western New York, we're going to see an incredible impact on traffic,” remarked Gregory Butcher, Erie County deputy commissioner, Preparedness & Homeland Security.
Butcher says they are preparing for everything, from making sure NFTA buses can move people, to working with U.S Customs and Border Protection, watching the airport, and making sure emergency crews can keep working.
"We have plans in place on how we can redirect and detour traffic we have several detour routes already established, that we will only release in ‘just-in-time needs’ we would prefer to use them as an important detour as opposed to impacting them regularly, while the primary and secondary roadways are already being impacted in Western New York,” Butcher described.
Planning has been underway for months and will continue right up until the eclipse.
The county executive said a major issue will be people pulling on the side of roads across the region to stop and watch the event. But he said that will include the Thruway, I-190, and I-290.
“Your best place to watch the eclipse is probably at your home, as long as you have a clear view of the sun it doesn't matter where you are,” Poloncarz noted.
Hotels are booked and travel groups are also headed our way.
“We are expecting a big influx of motor coach groups into the area coming from surrounding states as far as Illinois and North Carolina is the furthest that I’m aware of,” said Leah Mueller, Visit Buffalo Niagara.
Another major safety matter is your eyes making sure you safely view the eclipse.
“There is no safe viewing of the sun with the naked eye,” James Reynolds declared.
Ophthalmologist Dr. James Reynolds, professor, and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, Ross Eye Institute, University at Buffalo.
Dr. Reynolds says to make sure you have eclipse glasses.
"But I do want to caution that eclipse glasses must be certified by the international organization of standards they must be ISO certified,” Dr. Reynolds warned.
Dr. Reynolds says you must make sure these numbers are printed on the inside of the viewing glasses: 12312-2.
