Small Towns Brace for Total Solar Eclipse

Here's a Google maps traffic image from the 2017 solar eclipse.

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"They're going to leave Richland County and they don't care what's happened."

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How could this do anything to these small towns other than boost the local economies by more people (i.e. tourists) being there and gassing up, eating, buying shite, etc.

Are they expecting riots and destruction rather than people standing around looking into the sky?

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Has anyone experienced the hellish mayhem of a total solar eclipse?

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Wasn't the one in '84 total? It got kinda dark at the World's Fair in the middle of the day.

Cloudy skies could really frick up their plans

For the last total eclipse I traveled to a middle of nowhere town in South Carolina. It was quite the scene. There were cars pulled over randomly along the highway with people with tailgate tents and chairs for miles and miles. The one gas station in town was slammed. It was a fun experience. It felt like a mixture of tailgating for a game and a parade.

The clouds parted minutes before the eclipse. It is a surreal experience that everyone should have once in your life.

I ended up in Spring City TN (pop. ~2,000) for the 2017 eclipse.

Monitored weather for a week before deciding (2 days before) on the destination.

Drove in the day before, no hotels available.
Slept in the truck in a restaurant parking lot.

Traffic in was easy.
Traffic out was slow for about an hour then all good.

Ate at the local family restaurant where I parked.
Tipped very generously for their hospitality.

Didn't see any damage/mayhem caused by the 24hr temporary influx of visitors.

Will likely do it again next year, experiencing a total eclipse is awesome.

I booked my room on a popular lake in NE TX in the path of totality over a year ago.

I paid for the room @ $70/night before I suspect prices go up, and the lady asked me why I was making reservations so far out. I told her it was for a fishing tournament I knew I would be attending.

ETA: I already received 500 sets of glasses for family and friends. I think I can probably sell the rest on the scene and pay for the room.

Look American, we fly there for work.

Little rock has very little hotels left, they are expecting an influx of people here to see it

Did similar! Used hotel points the day they opened the calendar up before prices jacked up. Got my room! Hotel is sold out now and rooms in the area were going for ridiculous amounts. Texas.