Sheriff Shirley Concerned about Safety During Total Solar Eclipse

Last week, Stephens County held a public safety meeting regarding the August 21 total solar eclipse.

Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley said there are several concerns about the amount of people who are expected to be in this area to view the eclipse.

“There will be a large number of visitors coming through Stephens County and I want the citizens to be aware and anticipate heavy traffic on congested highways,” said Shirley. “Some visitors may even try to chase the eclipse, so be aware of that and bring your patience with you. Plan your trip ahead of time. Schools will be out so they have told us that they are going to allow everyone who wants to to park in the school parking lots.”

Shirley said another thing to expect is for travelers to park on the side of the highways.

“There will be many folks parking on the shoulder of the highways, be very mindful of that. And if you park on the shoulder, make sure you get off the highway,” said Shirley. “Some of the visitors coming here may not get totally off the roadway, so just be very cautious if you are traveling. I’m going to have a lot of deputies working that day to control traffic, so please watch out for my deputies and the thousands of visitors that are expected to be here that day.”

Shirley adds another safety tip to keep in mind is to have proper viewing glasses for the eclipse.

“Make sure you talk to your children about the dangers of not wearing protective glasses to view the solar eclipse,” said Shirley. “If children look at the eclipse with the naked eye, they will most certainly go blind, so make sure you’re looking out for the safety of your children at this time.”
Lastly, Shirley reminds citizens that Currahee Mountain will be closed to vehicle traffic. However, you can walk up to Currahee to view the eclipse.

The eclipse is estimated to reach Toccoa around 2:45 p.m. and last from 2.5 to 3 minutes.