Emergency management planning begins for influx of visitors during August 2017 solar eclipse

August 27, 2017 will be a big deal for the United States, but for Wyoming in particular, as an estimated 500,000 people will converge on the Equality State to view the first total solar eclipse in 26 years.

While all of Wyoming will be able to see at least a portion of the eclipse that morning, according to NASA, totality will be viewed in Pavillion, Shoshoni, Riverton, Casper, Douglas, Glendo, Lusk, Torrington and Thermopolis.

The celestial happening could have a huge effect on our little community, not just from the standpoint of full hotels, full campgrounds, full restaurants and lots of gasoline sales, but from an emergency management standpoint as well.

Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Gordon said there have already been meetings between various entities to discuss emergency planning for the week prior to and the week following the Monday eclipse.

“We can’t really tell how high our numbers will be,” Gordon said, “but the statewide numbers are expected to be huge, with people from all over the world.”

Gordon said Casper hotels are already completely booked and the Events Center is planning on using their parking lots to hold campers and RV’s.

Meetings have been held here that include the State Park, Chamber of Commerce, the hospital, county health officer and public health, the Highway Patrol, BLM and WYDOT.

An emergency plan needs to be in place well ahead of time to cover things like snake bites from visitors wandering around in unfamiliar places, broken or twisted limbs, and due to the time of year, August, heat stroke.

Interpreters will be needed in the event of an emergency that involves a non-English speaking visitor. Cell service may go down because of overloaded towers. There could also be a number of missing children and missing pets, all of which need to have some kind of plan in place.

“We can’t depend on the National Guard,” Gordon said, “because this is a state-wide event. They can be called out anywhere in the state so we have to have ourselves as prepared as possible.”

With the number of people expected, law enforcement will be outnumbered as will Highway Patrol. Gordon said Highway Patrol has already told their people state wide that there will be no vacation time taken during the week before and after the eclipse.

The coordination meetings will continue over the next several months and Gordon said, “Our efforts are on schedule.”