Hill Country Eclipse Round Table 11.15.22

Dear Hill Country Colleagues,

You are invited to participate in a Hill Country Eclipse Round Table Tuesday, November 15, from 12:00 pm-1:30 pm CDT on Zoom to discuss ongoing preparations for the annular solar eclipse and total solar eclipse, which may draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to our region in October 2023 and April 2024.

During the last total solar eclipse event in the U.S., back in 2017, many rural communities in its path were overwhelmed by the crowds and the challenges they created for local infrastructure, emergency services, lodging and restaurants, and supermarkets. However, the communities that fared the best were those that started preparing years in advance.

In 2023 and 2024, the annular and total solar eclipses will pass through the middle of the Hill Country, affecting all our communities. This round table is an opportunity for us to share our plans, learn from one another, and benefit from lessons learned by others.

November's Meeting
We recently crossed the one-year mark until the 2023 annular eclipse, which means we are under 18 months from the total solar eclipse. This month, I am pleased to invite renowned eclipse cartographer and GIS analyst Michael Zeiler to our meeting. Along with his wife, Polly White, Michael operates the website GreatAmericanEclipse.com and is co-author of Field Guide to the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses and Atlas of Solar Eclipses – 2020 to 2045.

"Texas will enjoy the rare occurrence of two central solar eclipses within a six-month span. The annular solar eclipse of October 14, 2023, sweeps over Odessa and Midland to San Antonio and Corpus Christi, and 3.8 million Texans can see the Ring of Fire with eclipse glasses. The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, crosses Texas from Eagle Pass to San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Texarkana. An amazing 12 million Texas live inside the path of totality, including the entire 7 million population of the Dallas/Ft Worth metropolitan area can see the breathtaking beauty of the Sun's corona in the suddenly darkened sky. Of all the states in the path, Texas will be the favored destination because of favorable weather odds compared to the U.S. midwest and northeast. Millions of people will come to Texas to see the eclipse. How many?" - Michael Zeiler

His talk, "Impact of the 2 Great Texas Eclipses", will look at the high-low predictions regarding the impending influx of tourists to the region using population data and an eclipse visitation model. Michael will also discuss points of potential traffic congestion.

This meeting and presentation are not to be missed; however, it will be recorded and uploaded to the portal for those unable to attend. Please come to the meeting prepared to discuss your county's or organization's task force progress in recent months and any plans moving forward. Also included on the agenda will be time to review takeaways from the American Astronomical Society's Solar Eclipse Workshop. We encourage you to share this invitation with other leaders in your community.

HCA's Eclipse Portal
Don't forget to take advantage of the Hill Country Alliance Eclipse Portal. This page has all the information you need concerning the eclipses, links to past meeting recordings, presenter resources, and more. You will find links to interactive maps, eclipse diagrams, a glossary of terms, and countdown clocks for both the annular and total solar eclipses. New content is added regularly, and we always welcome suggestions.

Meeting Registration
Please register by clicking here to receive Zoom details for the round table.