WACO, Texas — The Waco-McLennan County Director of Emergency Management said his office is already in the beginning stages of laying out plans for a major influx of visitors to the area during the April 8 total solar eclipse.
Director Ryan Dirker said discussions have been going on in departments across the City and County, "in some cases for years", in anticipation of the event, which could see Waco hosting thousands of people for the very first time.
"We feel very fortunate to be at the center and show all of the people coming what Waco and McLennan County has to offer," Dirker said.
Dirker said that while specific plans are still being laid out, those traveling throughout the city and county for work, school or otherwise should be aware of possible congestion and slower traffic with the influx of visitors.
The department will be implementing its "traffic control plan" used for Baylor game days around the county.
"We will have a presence in that area for this event, but what makes this different is we'll be in different parts of the community as well," Dirker said.
Dirker said the department is doing its best to avoid road closures and prevent bottle-necking areas. He anticipates the event won't cause major issues as Waco and McLennan County alike are both hubs for tourism already.
"In all the jurisdictions in McLennan County people have been working on this for a very long time," Dirker said. "So it's very well planned, it's very well thought out and we are excited."
Dirker added that road visibility could be altered during the four minutes of totality when the moon passes in front of the sun and urges caution for anyone out on the road at the time of the eclipse.
Internet providers in the area, like Spectrum, said they will also be monitoring coverage throughout the area and will be ready to respond to outages in the event that one is induced by the eclipse.
For more coverage on the eclipse please visit kcentv.com/eclipse.
More eclipse coverage from 6 News: