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Carita Jundt, Spencer Forest, James Hernandez, Patricia Moore, Todd Kramer and Pct. 3 Commissioner Jack Moseley speak at an eclipse planning meeting for Bandera County businesses and residents.
Photo by Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
April 14, 2023
Bandera County prepares for back-to-back eclipses
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
On Saturday, Oct. 14, the moon will cross in front of the sun, aligning with Earth across North, Central and South America.
The moon will not appear large enough to completely cover the sun, exposing only a circle of light, or “ring of fire.” According to timeanddate.com, 4 percent of the world’s population will be able to see totality of this annular (circular) eclipse, and Bandera is in the main path.
The transition will be viewable in Bandera at about 10:23 a.m. The totality will take place at 11:50 a.m., and last just more than four minutes until the moon has moved fully away at 1:33 p.m.
Not quite six months later, on Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse - during which the moon will appear larger than normal and completely cover the sun, will carve a path across 13 U.S. states - and Bandera is the bullseye.
The centerline will enter Texas as it crosses the Rio Grande River at the Mexico/U.S. border at about 12:10 p.m. Totality has been calculated to begin in Bandera at 1:31 p.m., with a duration of four minutes and 3.8 seconds - the longest in the country. Anticipating an onslaught of skygazers, county officials are preparing now.
“Obviously we know these events are going to happen,” Bandera County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Patricia Moore said. “It’s very rare that one location is in totality within six months.”
Although the event could be once in a lifetime for many county residents, Moore encouraged them and local businesses readjust their gaze, and shine a light on more practical preparations.
“Everyone has told us that the October event is a dress rehearsal,” Moore said, adding many who visit Bandera then are really scoping out where they want to be next year.
The Bandera County census indicates the total population is between 20,000 and 22,000 people. The 2024 eclipse is expected to grow that number three to four times, meaning the number of people within county lines could exceed 80,000.
“This means having supplies,” Moore said during an eclipse business meeting held March 29. “Twelve - that’s how many gas stations are in Bandera County, including Medina and Vanderpool. That’s not very many. Bandera residents, fill up your car, at the latest, at least three to four days before the eclipse.”
Bandera County Pct. 3 Commissioner Jack Moseley said the community of Carbondale, Ill. had a total eclipse event in 2017. He said their emergency management department reported traffic was one of the biggest problems, prolonging commutes that normally take two hours to 12 hours.
“People will park anywhere there is a little hole,” Todd Kramer said, who witnessed a total solar eclipse. “Distances 50 miles away took six hours. If you’ve got to be somewhere, leave really early. If you leave when you normally do, you’re going to be late.”
Categorizing eclipse chasers into categories, Kramer said the Type 1s, whom Moore called “super geeks,” will arrive two to three days prior. They will have telescopes and look for viewing areas free of telephone wires and trees, with a back-up viewing spot if it’s cloudy.
The Type 2s are the amateur astronomers. They likely already have reservations and will also arrive early.
The Type 3s are the daytrippers. Kramer said they’ll attempt to come the day of, and park anywhere they find satisfactory.
Then there are Type 4s, whom Moore said will cause most of the chaos, just ahead of the 3s.
“They have been hearing it on the news forever. They live out of town, and will decide last minute to come,” Moore said. “This whole phenomenon will be over in a matter of hours. People coming here and trying to go home in the same day, good luck.”
Bandera ISD has already scheduled April 8 as a school holiday, in anticipation of traffic congestion hampering school bus routes. Moore said several area dude ranches are already full, and some places are allowing RVers to boondock.
“There will be no food deliveries after Friday [April 5, 2024], so stock up. No gas deliveries, either,” Moseley said.
Moseley said the county had a meeting with emergency management, EMS, the fire marshal, the Sheriff’s Office, commissioners, County Judge Richard Evans, the Road and Bridge Department, DPS, the CVB, the City of Bandera and Art Crawford representing Meals on Wheels in February.
“This will affect them for two or three days,” Moseley said.
Moore said most tourists should be clearing out by Tuesday afternoon, but she expects traffic to still be heavy.
She said restaurants and other businesses should have conversations about limiting menus, reserving porta potties, ordering souvenirs - including eclipse viewing glasses available at the CVB, arranging shuttles for local staff and possibly even closing during the four-hour event.
“The mission is to have proper enthusiasm with adequate planning and preparation,” Moore said.
The next planned Eclipse Meeting will be at the Lakehills Community Center, 11225 PR 37, on May 9, at 6:30 p.m.
The moon will not appear large enough to completely cover the sun, exposing only a circle of light, or “ring of fire.” According to timeanddate.com, 4 percent of the world’s population will be able to see totality of this annular (circular) eclipse, and Bandera is in the main path.
The transition will be viewable in Bandera at about 10:23 a.m. The totality will take place at 11:50 a.m., and last just more than four minutes until the moon has moved fully away at 1:33 p.m.
Not quite six months later, on Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse - during which the moon will appear larger than normal and completely cover the sun, will carve a path across 13 U.S. states - and Bandera is the bullseye.
The centerline will enter Texas as it crosses the Rio Grande River at the Mexico/U.S. border at about 12:10 p.m. Totality has been calculated to begin in Bandera at 1:31 p.m., with a duration of four minutes and 3.8 seconds - the longest in the country. Anticipating an onslaught of skygazers, county officials are preparing now.
“Obviously we know these events are going to happen,” Bandera County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Patricia Moore said. “It’s very rare that one location is in totality within six months.”
Although the event could be once in a lifetime for many county residents, Moore encouraged them and local businesses readjust their gaze, and shine a light on more practical preparations.
“Everyone has told us that the October event is a dress rehearsal,” Moore said, adding many who visit Bandera then are really scoping out where they want to be next year.
The Bandera County census indicates the total population is between 20,000 and 22,000 people. The 2024 eclipse is expected to grow that number three to four times, meaning the number of people within county lines could exceed 80,000.
“This means having supplies,” Moore said during an eclipse business meeting held March 29. “Twelve - that’s how many gas stations are in Bandera County, including Medina and Vanderpool. That’s not very many. Bandera residents, fill up your car, at the latest, at least three to four days before the eclipse.”
Bandera County Pct. 3 Commissioner Jack Moseley said the community of Carbondale, Ill. had a total eclipse event in 2017. He said their emergency management department reported traffic was one of the biggest problems, prolonging commutes that normally take two hours to 12 hours.
“People will park anywhere there is a little hole,” Todd Kramer said, who witnessed a total solar eclipse. “Distances 50 miles away took six hours. If you’ve got to be somewhere, leave really early. If you leave when you normally do, you’re going to be late.”
Categorizing eclipse chasers into categories, Kramer said the Type 1s, whom Moore called “super geeks,” will arrive two to three days prior. They will have telescopes and look for viewing areas free of telephone wires and trees, with a back-up viewing spot if it’s cloudy.
The Type 2s are the amateur astronomers. They likely already have reservations and will also arrive early.
The Type 3s are the daytrippers. Kramer said they’ll attempt to come the day of, and park anywhere they find satisfactory.
Then there are Type 4s, whom Moore said will cause most of the chaos, just ahead of the 3s.
“They have been hearing it on the news forever. They live out of town, and will decide last minute to come,” Moore said. “This whole phenomenon will be over in a matter of hours. People coming here and trying to go home in the same day, good luck.”
Bandera ISD has already scheduled April 8 as a school holiday, in anticipation of traffic congestion hampering school bus routes. Moore said several area dude ranches are already full, and some places are allowing RVers to boondock.
“There will be no food deliveries after Friday [April 5, 2024], so stock up. No gas deliveries, either,” Moseley said.
Moseley said the county had a meeting with emergency management, EMS, the fire marshal, the Sheriff’s Office, commissioners, County Judge Richard Evans, the Road and Bridge Department, DPS, the CVB, the City of Bandera and Art Crawford representing Meals on Wheels in February.
“This will affect them for two or three days,” Moseley said.
Moore said most tourists should be clearing out by Tuesday afternoon, but she expects traffic to still be heavy.
She said restaurants and other businesses should have conversations about limiting menus, reserving porta potties, ordering souvenirs - including eclipse viewing glasses available at the CVB, arranging shuttles for local staff and possibly even closing during the four-hour event.
“The mission is to have proper enthusiasm with adequate planning and preparation,” Moore said.
The next planned Eclipse Meeting will be at the Lakehills Community Center, 11225 PR 37, on May 9, at 6:30 p.m.