Editors Note: This article was originally published in the Oct. 4, 2023 issue of the Chronicle Progress. Some information may be outdated.
County, cities prepare for activities, possible onslaught of visitors ahead of Oct. 14 event
No, it’s not Johnny Cash’s hit song.
It’s an eclipse. And Millard County is dead center to see the “ring of fire” on Saturday, Oct. 14. The solar event is anticipated to begin at 9:09 a.m. as a partial eclipse, reaching it’s maximum state at 10:28 a.m., and ending at 11:56 a.m.
Up to 300,000 people are expected to visit the Beehive State, and with an anticipated influx of people, local authorities are planning ahead and asking the public to do so as well.
A viewing party will be held in Fillmore at the Territorial Statehouse Park and Museum. The event is a city, county and state collaboration, according to Rachel West, county event planner.
Fillmore City Library will be having activities until the eclipse’s end. The state will be providing telescopes to view the event, and an indoor planetarium will be available for those interested in other celestial bodies, courtesy of the local 4-H program, located inside The Pod.
Professors from Utah Valley University and Southern Utah University will also be in attendance. Eclipse viewing glasses will be provided by the county for those interested.
“It’s a community event with community help,” West said.
West and other tourism officials have been preparing since mid-summer. Local RV parks and hotels have been booked for weeks. Even campgrounds are expected to be filled.
“We’ve been discussing this since July,” West said. She expects a few thousand people to visit Fillmore alone; but that could fluctuate across the county. Sevier County is preparing for possibly 30,000 visitors alone.
The Millard County Sheriff’s Office has already urged residents to plan ahead by issuing a press release on how best to prepare.
Residents should plan for increased use of local resources of commercial goods and services— grocery stores and gas stations—and have enough food and fuel purchased in advance, and expect travel delays, and to be aware of weather conditions.
Fillmore and Delta cities have been working with the sheriff’s office in coordination responses to potential crowds.
“We’re just trying to notify everybody and keep them on the same page, to let them know that things are coming,” said Delta Mayor John Niles. “As far as the city goes, we don’t have anything planned for a celebration.”
However, Niles said the restrooms in the city park will be open for crowds. They’re usually closed by the beginning of October.
“We’ll just be here to help in any way we can,” the mayor added.
Fillmore City expects to follow in the same way as its western counterpart.
“We’ve discussed it with the EMS and fire department, so they’re aware of what’s going to happen,” said Mayor Mike Holt. Otherwise, it’ll be business as usual.
Public safety officials have planned ahead to ensure they’re staffed and ready. Two crews of EMTs are scheduled, and fire departments have been placed on alert. The Utah Highway Patrol has 20 extra troopers scheduled to ensure traffic flows smoothly in Millard and Sevier Counties.
“We just want to make sure, because we know there is going to be a large influx of people, that all of our residents know that we are planning, we are talking of how to best serve the community during this time,” said Capt. Patrick Bennett, MCSO. “We want our locals to feel comfortable and not stressed out there’s going to be a lot of people in the area. We’re planning for the worst, but hoping for the best.”
NASA reports the next solar eclipse visible to North Americans will take place April 8, 2024. It’s path will run from Texas diagonally through the middle of the country’s eastern half.
