Oregon Statewide Organizations Prepare For This Month’s Total Solar Eclipse

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With the total solar eclipse approaching on Aug. 21, 2017, Oregon’s statewide governmental, preparedness and travel organizations have been working together for more than a year to ensure that Oregon is well equipped to handle this celestial event. The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, alongside the Governor’s Office, the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Oregon State Parks, the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), and many other partners are at the ready to help residents and visitors make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This total eclipse will be the first in the continental U.S. since 1979, and Oregon will be the first state in the country to witness it. Oregon also offers the best weather prospects along the entire eclipse path. On eclipse day, an eerie twilight will descend on a swath of the state in the late morning, starting on the coast between Lincoln City and Newport, before moving over Salem and eventually over the best potential viewing areas – where the eclipse will also last the longest, at nearly two minutes – of Warm Springs, Madras, Mitchell, Prairie City and Huntington in Eastern Oregon.

Oregon’s prime location means that up to one million eclipse enthusiasts are expected to travel into the Path of Totality to view the event. The state of Oregon is preparing for local, national and international interest, and the associated crowds and traffic.

“We’ve been working together for nearly two years, diligently preparing for this rare and exciting event,” said Todd Davidson, Travel Oregon CEO. “Each organization has helpful planning tools, tips and advice on hand and will be prepared to accommodate the immediate needs of residents and visitors before, during and after the event.”

During a total solar eclipse (aka totality), the sun, the moon and the Earth align in such a way that the moon completely blocks out the sun, creating a dark shadow for several minutes. This eclipse will cross the entire length of the country on a 62-mile-wide path, known as the path of totality, beginning on the West Coast near Depoe Bay, Oregon, and ending on the East Coast near Charleston, South Carolina.

To find out more about how to best prepare for the event, visitors and residents can visit:

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