Safety Tips for Safely Enjoying the April 8 Solar Eclipse

This is a friendly reminder that there will be a solar eclipse on April 8. Addison will start seeing a partial eclipse at 12:23pm until 1:44pm. During that timeframe we will have a total eclipse for three minutes from around 1:41pm to 1:44pm. 

Addison’s Emergency Management Coordinator has a few safety considerations for you to keep in mind, as the big day approaches:

Eye Protection – If you plan on viewing the celestial event, make sure to use glasses or viewers that meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. Regular sunglasses are not sufficient. For more information about how to view the eclipse safely, check out this page from the American Astronomical Society. There will be free eclipse glasses available for residents at the April 2 Town Meeting and they will be available for sale at the Total Eclipse of the Park event for $5 while supplies last.

• Traffic – A record number of out-of-staters and Texans will travel into the area of totality throughout the weekend leading up to the event. Expect an increase in traffic throughout the region, especially following the eclipse and during the evening rush hour on April 8. There will be more traffic in areas closer to the center line of the eclipse. Consider fueling up early, make sure to pack a snack, schedule unnecessary trips for a different day, and be kind to one another on the road. See highway conditions on DriveTexas.org.
• Eyes on the road! – Always keep your eyes on the road. Only view the eclipse once safely parked away from the flow of traffic. Be on alert for distracted pedestrians looking skyward.

Let’s all enjoy the celestial event together – safely!