SC News

2017 Solar Eclipse

On August 21, 2017, millions of people across the United States will see a total eclipse of the Sun. South Carolina will be a significant destination for the eclipse because it will be the nearest spot within the path of totality for at least 100 million Americans in the Atlantic Seaboard and Florida.Cell phone service and smartphone Internet are expected to be unavailable inside the path of totality due to the large concentration of people. Cell phone companies will reinforce their network capacity for emergency responders. However, this will not increase capacity for commercial use. Visitors to South Carolina for the eclipse are encouraged to print paper versions of directions, lodging and restaurant reservations, and tickets to local eclipse events they plan to attend.Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers, according to the American Astronomical Society and the National Science Foundation.

SC Emergency Management Division Releases Eclipse Safety Advice

South Carolina Public Radio | By Alfred Turner

Published August 3, 2017 at 4:59 PM EDT

SC Emergency Management Division

South Carolina's emergency managers are planning for an estimated influx of more than one million visitors into the state for several days on either side of the August 2017 solar eclipse. The SC Emergency Management Division advises the state's citizens to be prepared for this historic event by keeping safety in mind.

Beginning around 2:38 p.m. on Monday, August 21, 2017, viewers who have gathered in areas like Greenville, Columbia and Charleston, S.C., will experience the longest period of 100% total eclipse for a metro area on the entire East Coast of the United States — ranging from two minutes and 30 seconds to two minutes and 36 seconds of total darkness. Aside from the shear number of expected visitors expected in communities along the path of eclipse, there will be safety issues on roads and highways as many drivers are expected to slow down during totality.

To give South Carolinians an idea of what hazards may occur, the SCEMD has created Total Eclipse Safety Tips. The documents are available in both English and Spanish.