The total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 provided unique challenges and opportunities to communities in southwestern Kentucky, particularly for those that were bisected by the eclipse centerline. Todd County was one of those counties where almost the entire county experienced the total eclipse for a duration of 2 minutes and 30 seconds or more.

 No one knew how many visitors would travel to or through Todd County to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event. Our Local Emergency Management Planning Committee prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best, in terms of how the county would be impacted by the eclipse. We knew that our county was one of the best viewing locations in the state; but other than the Jefferson Davis Monument State Historic Site, local officials and businesses did little to promote Todd County as an eclipse viewing destination. We were not necessarily expecting a huge influx of eclipse visitors, but if skies in nearby Christian County were overcast prior to the eclipse and Todd County’s skies were clear, large numbers of people would likely move into Todd County for better viewing. 

 My job was to make sure that farmers were ready for the eclipse. I sent out a newsletter explaining things that farmers needed to do to be prepared in the event of an onslaught of eclipse viewers. The advice included:  (1) being extra careful on the roads due to potentially heavy traffic; (2) moving equipment such as tobacco wagons ahead of time to avoid potentially heavy traffic; (3) understanding that cell phones may not work normally because local cell phone tower carrying capacity may be overwhelmed; (4) making sure farm vehicles are full of fuel in the event local gas stations ran out of fuel; (5) filling up some farm water tanks in case there was a field fire and the local fire departments couldn’t respond quickly; and (6) making sure that farm families and employees were prepared to safely view the eclipse.

 I also ran a similar article in the local newspaper which was read by many non-farm people, which also helped regular citizens prepare for the eclipse.  After the eclipse, the Todd County Emergency Management Director estimated that about 2,500 people had come to the county specifically to watch the eclipse; with another two to three thousand eclipse watchers traveling through the county before and after the event. We did experience abnormally heavy traffic on many of our roadways, particularly the major highways; and we had eclipse visitors parked on roadsides and stopped in farm lanes and field turnoffs. But, thanks to planning ahead and preparing for eclipse issues, local farmers were able to operate on eclipse day without major disruptions (other than for them and their employees stopping to watch the eclipse themselves).