Jeez Ron, it sounds like the intro to one of those B-grade disaster
movies from my childhood. No one knows if Godzilla will show up. The
eclipse likely won't extend past the normal attention span of a teenager
... then everyone needs to leave and return home. I do hope the hams
are ready if needed.
OH, forgot ... there are those who take offense at calling Godzilla a
B-movie. I am truly sorry and I apologize.
73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County
On 8/18/2017 11:57 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
Other than I-5, Oregon's highways are one lane each way with few exceptions in
more built up areas. As Eclipse viewers arrive, the roads fill up fast. Local
news reported that one town in the eastern Willamette Valley had a 30 mile long
bumper-to-bumper back up yesterday. I-5 should be moving at least.
Here in Newport on the central Oregon coast (within the band of "totality"),
traffic is heavy and growing worse by the day. People are being reminded that they may
NOT camp on the beaches. Besides, we should have record high tides caused by the sun and
moon tides converging on eclipse day. Many beaches will be under water. Lodging and camps
are at full capacity. In spite of visitors being warned they will be fined, we expect to
find roadsides that have any space and parking lots everywhere filled with campers and
trailers. During the eclipse we expect to find vehicles just stopping in the road to
watch, oblivious to the fact it stops traffic for as long as they sit there (that already
happens from time to time every summer when people stop in the middle of the highway, get
out of their vehicles, and take pictures (sigh...).
The local telephone services are installing many hundreds of portable "towers"
to augment the regular cell towers. Even so, I won't be surprised if Wayne is correct:
Amateur Radio may be the most reliable communications system.
Also, hundreds of additional ambulances are on scene to handle more
emergencies, although whether they will be able to get where they need to go is
in doubt. Many roads have NO shoulders where people can pull over. A deep
drainage ditch runs down each side of most rural roads just off the edge of the
pavement.
A number of helicopter ambulances are arriving to help where emergency vehicles
cannot reach.
National Guard personnel are being dispatched to help with traffic in various
locations and they have better off-road vehicles for places where the highways
are jammed.
One major concern locally is on the morning of the 21st when people here
discover the sky is overcast (as it usually is on the coast this time of year-
at least until noon) they will try to head east along US20, one lane each way
through the 3,000 foot coastal mountains, to reach cloudless skies.
Gas prices up over a dollar ($3.25 yesterday) and are sure to continue to rise
as long as the pumps don't run dry. Gas is delivered from over the coastal
mountains and it's likely that no new deliveries are being made before the
crowds dissipate.
Similarly, grocery store shelves are emptying out and may not be restocked
before the eclipse.
Our local water company is concerned about handling the load imposed by having
5 or 10 times the normal number of people using it. They recommend storing
extra water now.
Overall the emergency services point out that this is a great test of our readiness for
the anticipated "Cascadia event" that we train for regularly including strong
earthquakes, tsunami and no passable highways for several days at least.
That may be, but August 22nd will be a great relief!
73, Ron AC7AC
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