Monday, April 29, 2024
The total solar eclipse that will pass directly through the center of Gatesville is nearly upon us, which means city officials and services throughout the community have been preparing for April 8.
As Gatesville will be a prime viewing location for travelers throughout the United States, the population will expect a sudden increase.
“This event has never occurred in Gatesville’s recorded history and has the potential to be the biggest event our town has ever seen,” Gatesville Police Chief Brad Hunt said. “It is an opportunity to shine for our city government, local businesses, and for all residents of Gatesville.”
The centerline of the eclipse will pass directly through Gatesville and will be one of the longer durations of totality in the State of Texas, at four minutes, twenty-three point nine seconds.
“We have conducted extensive research into the 2017 total eclipse that crossed a smaller portion of the U.S., speaking to local and state governments in Wyoming and Illinois about their experiences,” Hunt said. “We paid close attention to their lessons learned and have planned accordingly for the additional people coming to town, as well as the traffic issues we expect will occur.”
“The lessons from 2017 taught us that, regardless of whether we hosted local events, people would come to town,” Hunt said. “So, we began planning things for people to do on the day of the event and the weekend preceding it, to give our visitors a unique way to experience Gatesville.”
The Gatesville Police Department and the City of Gatesville have made several statements regarding the eclipse about how a safe event equals a good event.
Hunt expressed that he expects greatly increased traffic through the weekend, with some delays likely.
“We have been planning for over a year and, now that we are less than four weeks away, we feel like we are more than ready for the day of the eclipse to arrive,” Hunt said.
Hunt explained that the Gatesville Police Department is doubling their patrol presence the week of the eclipse as well as working with area partners and nearby cities to plan for any potential emergencies, such as Coryell County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Cavazos, Texas Department of Public Safety, and others.
The city has increased their workforce at both the police and fire departments, in preparation for the increased number of people through the weekend and on April 8, as well as collaborating with local and state partners for some time to ensure that the community will have the resources necessary to provide services throughout the event.
The Gatesville Police Department is working with the Texas Department of Transportation and surrounding communities to prepare traffic control and public safety plans.
The biggest traffic concerns include congestion on U.S. Highway 84 and State Highway 36, two major highways utilized by emergency vehicles and that lead to larger cities like Waco and Temple.
He added that his team will remain in contact with local entities including the fire department, EMS, and law enforcement in the area.
Recommendations for citizens when it comes to preparing for severe traffic includes having a full tank of gas, carrying a tire repair kit and emergency supplies in the vehicle, and staying off the road during the evening of Monday, April 8.
“On Monday, April 8th from about 2 p.m. through the rest of the night, we expect drastic delays on all city streets and highways throughout our region,” Hunt said. “We are asking folks to pre-plan for significant delays on the afternoon of Monday, April 8.”
The Gatesville Police Department and the City of Gatesville are encouraging locals to sign up for Code Red Alerts to their cell phone, which is how pertinent information will be relayed about traffic or other topics.
The Code Red signup can be found on the city webpage at https://www.gatesvilletx.com/, under “How DO I?” tab.
The Gatesville Volunteer Fire Department, under the leadership of Chief Billy Vaden will be sure to have extra personnel on duty from Friday, April 5 to Tuesday, April 9.
A command post vehicle will be on standby during the downtown event on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7 as well as at the Sports Complex for the NASA event on Monday, April 8. The VFD will also be available to assist with any incident responses as needed.
The Gatesville VFD can be reached by contacting 254-865-6416.
The City of Gatesville Street Department Director Jim Shepard will have all personnel on duty from Friday, April 5 to Tuesday, April 9. The street department will have staging cones and barricades at various event locations from Friday, April 5 to Monday, April 8, as well as assisting to any incident responses as needed.
The Gatesville Parks and Recreation Department Director Seth Phillips will have all personnel on duty from Friday, April 5 to Tuesday, April 9. The department will be primarily monitoring the camping grounds at Faunt Le Roy Park from Friday, April 5 to Tuesday, April 9, while also checking on all other city parks during that timeframe. They will be assisting with the NASA event which will be located at the Sports Complex on Monday, April 8, and with any incident responses as needed.
There will be clean-ups conducted at each city park throughout the month of March to prepare for the event in early April.
Water Distribution Directors Chad Newman and Zeb Veazy will make sure that all personnel are on duty from Friday, April 5 to Tuesday, April 9. Their main responsibility will be to monitor water usage throughout the community and to adjust any levels as needed with increased demand. Throughout the month of March, the water distribution team has been preparing systems for increased usage from Saturday, April 6 to Tuesday, April 9.
Bobby Buster, Director of the Water Waste Department with the City of Gatesville has made sure that all personnel will be on duty from Friday, April 5 to Tuesday, April 9. The department will mainly be focusing on the wastewater output and adjusting plant operations as needed with increased demand. Systems are being prepared during the month of March for increased usage from Saturday, April 6 to Tuesday, April 9.
Miguel Gamez with the Building Department is completing preparations at the City Auditorium for the NASA presentation, which expects high traffic.
Civic Manager Morgan Smart is coordinating with the Friends of the Public Library, city staff, the Gatesville Police Department, the parks, and the Gatesville Volunteer Fire Department for the event to be held at the Sports Complex on Monday, April 8.
Director Shea Harp with the Gatesville Public Library is coordinating with the Friends of the Public Library to host an event at the Sports Complex on Monday, April 8. Harp will be assisting with the education and eclipse glasses distribution during the month of March as well leading up to the weekend event. She will be hosting the NASA presentation with Liam Finn at the City Auditorium on Saturday, April 6.
Nursing home, Hillside Medical Lodge will have its parking lot entrance blocked off to all visitors except for the families of the residents on Monday, April 8.
Police Chief Brad Hunt explained that lanes will be open for EMS services to travel to emergencies at Hillside Medical Lodge and RehabLiving at the Meadows.
For further details regarding the City of Gatesville’s preparations for the Total Eclipse, contact 254-865-8951.
Visit www.gatesvilletxeclipse.com for more information about Gatesville’s preparations for the eclipse.
The Gatesville City Auditorium is located at 110 N. 8th Street.
