The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:22 AM
Monroe County 911 Center Preparing For Flood Of Calls Come August 21 During Solar Eclipse
"The low estimate coming in to Sweetwater and dispersing through the county is 63,000, with the high estimate of 225,000," said April White, Director of Monroe County 911.
White is expecting phones to be off the hook for the highly anticipated solar eclipse.
"This is the largest scale event we've ever had giving us a new view point or perspective of what it means to prepare," said David Chambers, Emergency Management Director for Monroe County.
White says that it's important to plan ahead and to prevent emergencies.
"Treat it pretty much like you got a blizzard coming in," said White.
First responders urge people to fill up their gas tank, get everything they need from the grocery story and pick up prescriptions and anything they may need for the weekend.
Above all, White said people need to keep their attitudes in check.
"We want people to kind of contain their road rage if they have to sit in traffic for a while and we definitively want to extend our southern hospitality to people," said White.