The City of Corvallis and Benton County have finalized plans for the upcoming solar eclipse. In an announcement the city listed guidelines for public safety as well as tips and resources for the day of.
Visitors and locals can access important information during the eclipse is through social media by searching #MidValleyEclipse – especially in the case of an emergency. Patrick Rollens with the City of Corvallis says several city and county departments will be using the hashtag to relay officially-verified information.
“If there really is an emergency of some sort, people are going to come to social media,” says Rollens. “And if they don’t find the information they’re seeking they’re going to start talking about what they’ve heard and what their neighbors have heard and in the absence of official information, you can really have some misinformation get out there. And so it’s very important to at least have a framework in place.”
People are also encouraged to share their eclipse experiences using the hashtag to document the once-in-a-lifetime event. The City of Corvallis requests residents limit water usage to ensure supplies can meet the demand of thousands of visitors. It was also confirmed street lights will turn on during the eclipse as there is no city-wide system to shut them all off at once.