301.519.9237 exdirector@nesaus.org

10.8.23 – LITTLE ROCK (KATV)

On April 8, 2024, an expected 1.5 million tourists will be in Arkansas as a massive swathe of the state goes dark for a total solar eclipse, our content partner 40/29 News reported.

The Division of Tourism is expecting the state’s population to increase by 50 percent for the total eclipse in April.

Emergency managers say command centers will be open across Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley, and that the biggest challenges will be traffic and overloaded cell phone towers.

“If you look at it from my point of view, from our world—you’re going to have an increase of 50 percent population in the state. So that means 50 percent more car wrecks, 50 percent more heart attacks, 50 percent more strokes, 50 percent more people getting lost,” said Sebastian County Emergency Manager Kendall Bean.

Thousands of people visited Arkansas in 2017 to see a partial solar eclipse. In 2024, the eclipse will be nearly twice as long and the width and path will be nearly double in size

The moon will completely block out the sun in some parts of Arkansas, where emergency managers say local resources could be strained the most.

“Especially in the middle of the state where the four-minute mark’s going to be…because once you look at the maps for the state of Arkansas, you have national forests, two-lane highways—you don’t have a gas station on every corner,” Bean said.

“There’s a lot of great recreational activities to be had in this area, especially along the Mulberry River. The secret is out what hikers have known for many years: it’s beautiful. Be extra careful because there are some very high vantage points where something unfortunate could happen if you’re not careful,” Franklin County Emergency Manager Rick Covert said.

If your community is hosting a festival or special event for the eclipse, you can let the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism know, and they may post it on the Arkansas Eclipse website.