PLATTSBURGH, Vt. (WCAX) – A state of emergency is being called in Essex County ahead of the eclipse, the first in the North Country.
The emergency declaration starts on Saturday and ends on Wednesday.
Essex County is home to many hamlets that are staples of the Adirondacks, like the Olympic Village Lake Placid. The population could double in size on the day of the eclipse, going from roughly 300,000 to 600,000.
For Essex County, which has a population of 37,000 people, a massive influx could mean traffic gridlock. Under the declaration, the county will be able to utilize resources otherwise unavailable if there is an emergency.
“Not that I am anticipating this but for in a declaration of an emergency and stuff- if you needed to contract for services that are not available in the public sector right away, you can do that quickly without- with more of a streamlined system- not requesting a total bid process,” said Essex County Board of Supervisors Chairman Shaun Gillilland.
State police will also double the number of troopers in the region that day to ensure road traffic does not turn into gridlock.