JONESBORO, Ark. – Northeast Arkansas is officially in eclipse mode as residents prepare for the celestial super event – and the influx of visitors that comes with it.
On Monday, April 8 in Jonesboro, the start time is expected to be 12:37 PM and the end time is expected to be 3:15 PM. The real show will be from 1:55 PM to 1:57 PM. Totality will last 2 minutes 17 seconds. Other cities in NEA are within a few minutes of those times.
Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott told JonesboroRightNow.com he expects as many as 100,000 visitors to the city for the event. Add that that to the number of people working, traveling for medical visits, and residing in the city, and things could become crowded. All of Jonesboro’s officers will be on duty that day.
Hotels and Airbnbs have been booked up for months, as K8 News reported, in a way that has never happened before, according to the owner of Comfort Inn and Hampton Inn. Bookings began last year for the occasion.
The JETS bus system is expected to experience delays on Monday, K8 News also reported, but will still be running routes. Transit services will pause for about an hour during the total eclipse and a viewing event will be held for riders and employees waiting.
But other cities in NEA are contending with the same challenges Jonesboro is facing. Among those are the shortages in gasoline that have come with the surge of both locals preparing and out-of-towners fueling up. Walnut Ridge Mayor Charles Snapp even took to social media to announce a local gas station was getting a resupply after apparently running out Friday night.
The City of Walnut Ridge also announced that Stewart Park would be available to visitors, free of charge, who want to find a spot to watch the eclipse. On Monday morning, visitors will be allowed to park starting at sunrise.
In Paragould, the community is hosting a variety of events. The Collins Theater has four days of entertainment planned that began Friday. The City of Paragould has been sharing numerous events and updates to its Facebook page, as well.
In Pocahontas, an eclipse viewing event to benefit Odyssey of the Mind PHS Team B will be held at the Pocahontas High School Football Stadium, 2312 Stadium Drive in Pocahontas. The cost to park is $20 per vehicle. Motorists are asked to enter at the stoplight. Concessions will be available.
The Arkansas Highway Department announced they’re in “eclipse mode.” Road signs reminded residents not to park on the side of the highway to view the eclipse. One of the featured comments suggested telling motorists not to drive with their eclipse glasses on, too.
Several communities have set up dedicated websites for the eclipse. JonesboroEclipse.com lists Jonesboro area activities for the special weekend leading up to the eclipse. Paragould has done the same with EclipseontheRidge.org. Arkansas State Parks have also set up a page dedicated to the eclipse and activities surrounding it, which can be found here.
Arkansas State Police reminded motorists who need to report a highway incident or request a State Trooper for non-emergency highway assistance to use *ASP (*277). Of course, in emergencies, 911 is still the number to call – but authorities fear that the 911 system could become overwhelmed in emergency situations.
With the same concerns in mind, the Jonesboro Police Department put out a reminder to residents that they can text 911 instead of calling it, in an emergency. The text will go to the E911 Dispatch Center for Craighead County. Not all counties may have this same technology available, so check with your local authorities ahead of time if you’re not sure.
Safety is also an important point for the event. Viewing the eclipse through a camera lens or a telescope will cause instant severe eye injury, according to NASA’s eclipse safety webpage.
Many eclipse visitors will be traveling across the state, both in and out of NEA, to enjoy the spectacle in the skies. On Friday, a photo posted by Clinton National Airport showed just on one flight how many were flying in for the eclipse.
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