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Indiana declares state of emergency due to the massive arrival of tourists to see the solar eclipse

Governor Eric Holcomb said that the increase could affect communications and state emergency services.

Ciudadanos

(Cordon Press)

Published by
Rosana Rábago Sainz

There are five days left until the total solar eclipse takes place and one of the places where it will be best seen is Indiana. Tourists are flocking to the state and Governor Eric Holcomb decided to activate the state of emergency.

According to the Republican in a press release, the increase in visitors who will arrive during days ahead of the solar eclipse could affect communications and state emergency services:

The massive number of people viewing this event in our state may well stress and/or interfere with first responder and public safety communications and emergency response systems such that a technological or other emergency may occur.

Holcomb explained that the eclipse "will pass directly over the state of Indiana." It is the state's first total eclipse since 1869. The next total eclipse is not expected to occur for another 75 years.

That has caused many people to travel to the state to get "an incredible view of this extremely rare event," according to the governor. This increase in tourists has forced Indiana to declare a state of emergency. As Holcomb explained, significant crowds are expected in the state, which implies that additional security measures will be needed:

It is of primary importance to the state of Indiana to be prepared to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public during this event and to be prepared to swiftly and effectively respond to any emergency that may arise.

Illinois and Texas are other good places to see the solar eclipse

Indiana is not the only state that will see the total solar eclipse well. This eclipse will also be seen in other places such as Illinois and Texas. These states are also implementing additional security measures in light of the imminent increase in visitors. The Epoch Times reported that Illinois Department of Transportation officials said they could expect an increase in tourism of "100,000 to 200,000":

Crowds of 100,000 to 200,000 are expected to come to the prime viewing area in southern Illinois. All roads in and out of the area are expected to have heavy congestion in the couple hours after the eclipse.

In Texas, several areas have begun implementing additional security measures. An example of this is Travis County, home to Austin. Judge Andy Brown acknowledged the fact that the county's population could double in the coming days. He signed a disaster declaration with increased security measures:

It’s super exciting to see this once-in-a-lifetime event. What makes it different is that it is a natural phenomenon, and we can’t control the weather around it. So there’s a lot of variables that we just can’t control for.
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