Not April Fools, but a solar Apoc-eclipse?

There is a solar eclipse across the U.S. on 8th April, and some important preparations are underway. Media is spreading the message to not look directly at the Sun (or the Moon in front of it) during the eclipse. In this rather environmentally conscious era, there are also articles on what to do with disposable eclipse glasses. Pop science articles abound. Eclipse parties and festivals are gearing up. STEM teachers can walk a little taller.

However…

Maybe we should just cut to examples of other phenomena connected to the eclipse.

We’ll start with television station KXXV in Waco, Texas. The metropolitan Waco area has a population of about 340,000 people, and 100,000 visitors are expected during the eclipse weekend.
KXXV released a news item called ”This will not be armageddon’: McLennan County Emergency Management prepares Waco for Solar Eclipse” on 5th March.

The KXXV reporter gave tips for locals, including to stock up on food and petrol, though without panic buying. This advice comes because of the expected influx of visitors, not because of the coming of the End Times.

While Waco does have a history of some inhabitants worrying a lot about the apocalypse, it also has the Eclipse over Texas festival, and with totality lasting 4 minutes and 13 seconds, there is plenty of time to be festive.

In New York state, near the Canadian border, concerns run just as high. “Solar Eclipse Warnings Leave Officials on Guard: ‘I’m Scared As Hell’” is the title of an article from the American magazine Newsweek. The news outlet puts it succinctly:

Concerns over distracted drivers, gridlocked traffic from out-of-towners flocking to view the spectacle, cell phone outages from overloaded cell towers, large crowds gathering, and an increased demand for food, water, and fuel are creating a logistical problem for regions across the U.S. that are in the path of totality. Many schools across the country have even decided to close over safety fears.

Newsweek, 25th March 2024

And in Florida

This one is not about the doom-spreading, but no review of the lighter side of America would be complete without a look at what has happened in the state of Florida. In this case, the incident is not the upcoming solar eclipse, but rather one in the past. In 2017, a man in Florida stole a car, then stopped as he was driving to watch a solar eclipse, and was arrested while watching the eclipse.