Barry County prepares traffic, communications and emergency plans for weekend Rock the Country event

Patrick, the county emergency management coordinator, told the Barry County Board of Commissioners that the county and event organizers are preparing for Rock the Country this weekend and expect "upwards of 50,000 people coming to the community over the course of this weekend."

The county has been planning for six months, Patrick said, coordinating with neighboring emergency managers, dispatch centers, the sheriff's office and private parking owners to reduce highway impacts and move attendees from M-37 into staged parking. "We do anticipate traffic congestion," he said, and added that organizers arranged additional parking on private land south of the site.

Patrick said organizers and county dispatch have set up a resident alert system and urged residents to sign up; the county text alert code for community messages is 226787. He warned county officials that weather is a major risk: planners expect possible rain and storms that could affect both safety and traffic operations.

Commissioners and staff discussed capacity and planning but did not take formal action. The sheriff's office and county dispatch have been assigned operational support for traffic control, and county leaders asked commissioners to notify constituents to seek alternate routes and plan around expected delays.

The county emphasized communications to neighborhoods and advised residents with appointments to plan ahead to avoid being blocked by concert traffic. No changes to the county’s emergency powers or formal directives were adopted during the meeting.