Marble Falls heeds other cities' warnings on eclipse preparation

Marble Falls officials are drafting plans to handle the hundreds of thousands of skygazing tourists expected to flood the region on April 8, 2024, to view a rare total solar eclipse, including taking advice from other cities that have been in the path of one.

The city’s top priority is preventing roadside camping during the eclipse in the interest of safety and avoiding disruption, Mayor Dave Rhodes told DailyTrib.com.

“We’ve learned from other places that the highways and roads are going to become campsites,” he said. “We don’t want for all the city streets in front of people’s houses, especially the narrow ones, to become campsites.”

While officials plan to take economic advantage of the rush of people coming to the city, they also recognize the potential dangers the eclipse presents.

“We see it as an event or an incident, and we’re going to plan for it like that,” City Manager Mike Hodge said. “We’re prepared for whatever might happen, but on the other side of it, there are some opportunities.”

The Marble Falls Parks and Recreation Department will be renting out campsites to visitors.

“(Parks and Recreation Department Director) Lacey (Dingman) and her group have been working on looking at what we can do as far as creating some opportunities for renting space for potential visitors who we’ll have who want to be outside and participate in (the eclipse),” Hodge said.

Traffic will be another issue. Marble Falls officials have contacted the Texas Department of Transportation for guidance on potential overflow on TxDOT-managed roads such as U.S. 281 and RR 1431.

“We’re also making sure the (U.S.) 281 bridge is passable,” Hodge said.

The problems won’t end once the eclipse does.

“People will trickle in over a few days into the area, but they’ll all leave at once,” Mayor Rhodes said. “Once it’s over, it’s over. If you think Friday and Sunday evenings are bad on traffic, keep your pants on.”

Marble Falls plans to use every available city staff member during the eclipse to ensure residents’ safety, Hodge said.

“What we’re talking about is the weekend leading up, and then also the day of, we’ll be fully staffed and have people in the field,” the city manager said. “We’ll be treating it like an incident.”

Mayors of other municipalities that have been eclipse epicenters have warned Marble Falls officials to be prepared.

“I’ve talked with people in North Carolina and Wyoming, and my eyes were opened,” Rhodes said during a recent City Council meeting. “It was a mess, according to all those folks.”

The city’s preparations are underway and will be discussed at future council meetings.

“It’s in April,” Rhodes told DailyTrib.com. “Not that it’s not a long way away, but it’s not tomorrow either.”

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Just wondering if BCSO is planning ahead for this fiasco. Reveille Peak is planning on 50,000 (that’s FIFTY THOUSAND) people on a road that is only TWO lanes wide. Here’s hoping somebody is thinking ahead and trying to protect the taxpayers of Burnet County and not just catering to the tourists and the people who make all the money off them. Haven’t seen or heard anything about any forethought on their part.

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