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Dr. Clay urges Clinton, Van Buren County to prepare for April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse; warns of traffic, shortages and safety needs
Summary
An astronomy educator told Clinton residents that the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse will place the town at the center of a large influx of visitors, urging preparations for traffic, medical and utility continuity, certified eye protection, volunteer staffing, and school planning.
Dr. Clay, an educator who has led dozens of community eclipse briefings, told a Clinton audience that the town sits “right smack dab in the middle” of the April 8, 2024 path of totality and urged local preparation for heavy visitation and service disruptions.
He highlighted the event’s timing and scale: partial phases will begin in the afternoon and totality for Clinton will be unusually long — more than four minutes — around 01:50 local time on April 8, 2024. “You are in prime location,” he said, noting the shadow across Arkansas is roughly 115 miles wide and travels about 2,000 miles per hour.
Why it matters: Dr. Clay said many visitors will arrive days early and could be unable to leave immediately after the eclipse, creating congestion and supply pressure. “They’re not gonna be able to get out of here.…
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