- Title: Oregon coastal city at "double ground zero" braced for eclipse
- Date: 13th August 2017
- Summary: DEPOE BAY, OREGON, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 9, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SIGN AT ENTRANCE TO DEPOE BAY READING (English): "DEPOE BAY, WORLD'S SMALLEST HARBOR" VARIOUS OF SIGN OUTSIDE STORE READING (English): "ECLIPSE PARKING $100/DAY, $500/WEEK, $750/RV WEEK" PEOPLE WALKING ON MAIN STREET WOMAN WALKING PAST O'CONNELL GALLERY AND GIFTS STORE SIGN IN WINDOW OF STORE READING (English): "SOLAR ECLIPSE SHIRTS HERE" MUGS READING (English): "A WHALE OF AN ECLIPSE, AUGUST 21, DEPOE BAY, OREGON" T-SHIRTS HANGING IN ENTRANCE TO STORE READING (English): "SOLAR ECLIPSE TOUR" WITH A LINE DRAWN THROUGH A MAP OF THE UNITED STATES SHOWING THE PASS OF THE ECLIPSE LIST OF STATES THE ECLIPSE WILL PASS THROUGH, ON T-SHIRT PAT O'CONNELL, OWNER OF O'CONNELL GALLERY AND GIFTS, WHO DESIGNED THE SHIRTS, SELLING T-SHIRT TO CUSTOMER O'CONNELL PUTTING T-SHIRT IN BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAT O'CONNELL, OWNER OF O'CONNELL GALLERY AND GIFTS, SAYING: "The reason why it's so big in Depoe Bay is because we are the center line of the eclipse. Of the 62 miles, we're in the exact center line. And they say it's going to happen in another hundred years, but for my town to be in the exact enter line probably hasn't happened for several thousand years. So the way I'm capitalizing off of this is I decided to design a shirt and, because it is a commemorative event, I decided that I would make it like a rock shirt and that people would keep it for the rest of their lives." T-SHIRT HANGING IN STORE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAT O'CONNELL, OWNER OF O'CONNELL GALLERY AND GIFTS, SAYING: "Wyoming, Kansas, Idaho -- they're all ground zero too. We're just a double ground zero." DEPOE BAY, OREGON, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 8, 2017) (REUTERS) BAY SHROUDED IN FOG PEOPLE LOOKING FOR WHALES, NEXT TO SIGN IDENTIFYING TYPES OF WHALES THAT CAN BE SEEN IN DEPOE BAY BARBARA LEFF, MAYOR OF DEPOE BAY, LOOKING OUT AT PACIFIC OCEAN WHALE BREACHING/ WHALE WATCHING BOATS IN DISTANCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BARBARA LEFF, MAYOR OF DEPOE BAY, SAYING: "The current population is approximately 1,500. It might grow twice as large, it might grow 20 times as large. The fact is, we have no idea. This is our adventure for the year. Actually, maybe for the Millennia." WHALE SPOUTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BARBARA LEFF, MAYOR OF DEPOE BAY, SAYING: "This community has been practicing for a major catastrophe for years and years, and a lot of the eclipse preparations in some ways mirror those disaster preparations. So in that regard, I would say, nothing unusual, we've been doing what we're used to doing and hopefully we are all prepared. We all have our emergency backpacks and supplies and, you know. So hopefully, the locals at least will be prepared for whatever occurs and then we'll do the best we can to support our visitors." DEPOE BAY, OREGON, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 9, 2017) (REUTERS) MAN COMING OUT OF TEMPORARY RESTROOM (PORT-A-POTTY) TEMPORARY PORTABLE RESTROOMS NEXT TO WHALE WATCHING CENTER PEOPLE WALKING PAST BAY WALK CAFE BAY WALK CAFE SIGN VARIOUS OF ALISON YOUNG, OWNER OF THE BAY WALK CAFE, MAKING COFFEE SOUNDBITE) (English) ALISON YOUNG, OWNER OF THE BAY WALK CAFE, SAYING: "We're planning on staying open for 72 hours. My husband and I are planning on taking the nightshift. And we're hoping and praying that our dedicated and loyal staff can make it to work, or part of them can make it to work, and we're just going to have to get it done as best we can." DEPOE BAY, OREGON, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 8, 2017) (REUTERS) DEPOE BAY FIRE STATION SIGN READING (English): "PICK UP HERE! ECLIPSE GLASSES MON-FRI 8AM-4PM" (SOUNDBITE) JOSHUA WILLIAMS, FIRE CHIEF FOR THE DEPOE BAY FIRE DISTRICT, SAYING: "The number one challenge is traffic and access on the highways. Here in this area, we have Highway 101, which is our major north-south thoroughfare. That's it. There's no other options, no other detours, so when the 101 gets tied up, then it ties up a lot of other areas." DEPOE BAY, OREGON, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 9, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC ON MAIN STREET THROUGH DEPOE BAY PEOPLE COMING OUT OF DEPOE BAY CITY HALL SIGN READING (English): "DEPOE BAY CITY HALL" VARIOUS OF POSTER ON DOOR OF CITY HALL READING (English): "DEPOE BAY NEEDS YOU! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED DURING UPCOMING ECLIPSE EVENT" VARIOUS OF FINAL ECLIPSE COMMITTEE MEETING IN CITY HALL VARIOUS OF PROTECTIVE ECLIPSE-VIEWING GLASSES PRINTED WITH 'CITY OF DEPOE BAY' IN BOX VARIOUS OF WHALE WATCHING BOAT COMING IN TO HARBOR AND PASSENGERS DISEMBARKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) COAST GUARD SPOKESMAN ANDREW PORT AT STATION DEPOE BAY, SAYING: "We've been doing some boardings over at the boat launch and talking with a lot of people over there. Just making sure that everybody's as prepared as everybody can be, and so far so good, everything's going great." VARIOUS OF FISHING CAGES (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOREN GODDARD, CO-OWNER OF DOCKSIDE CHARTERS, SAYING: "I'm supposed to be tuna fishing. So I get to see it way before anybody because I'll be 30 miles off shore." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRET GOLD, OWNER OF TOASTED TEA AND COFFEE SHOP, SAYING: "Well, we're anticipating that we'll be able to close because most people are going to want to view the eclipse. They're not going to be wanting to buy a cup of coffee. In fact, if they did, I'd tell them they were crazy and get out of the shop." BRET GOLD, OWNER OF TOASTED TEA AND COFFEE SHOP, SERVING CUSTOMER BEHIND COUNTER VARIOUS OF GOLD SELLING ECLIPSE T-SHIRTS TO CUSTOMER
- Embargoed: 27th August 2017 02:41
- Keywords: solar eclipse preparations eclipse preview double ground zero Depoe Bay Oregon natural disaster visitors tourists
- Location: DEPOE BAY, OREGON, UNITED STATES
- City: DEPOE BAY, OREGON, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Science
- Reuters ID: LVA0016TUMUYV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Oregon's Depoe Bay is preparing for the first total eclipse to traverse the continental United States in a century as if a natural disaster was bearing down on the small coastal city.
The town, home to 1,500 residents and a single traffic light, is near the spot of land where the total eclipse will first appear on Aug. 21 as it begins cutting a path through 14 states to the Atlantic.
That distinction has raised fears that a tidal wave of visitors will descend on Depoe Bay to get a first glimpse at "totality" a week from Monday.
"Totality" is when the moon passes in front of the sun, blotting out its light and exposing the glowing "corona" around its perimeter. After a little more than two minutes, the phenomenon will end in any given location as the eclipse moves to the east on its coast-to-coast journey.
"We're a double ground zero," said Pat O'Connell, who owns a small gallery and gift store facing the rocky sea wall, where thousands are expected to gather when the sky darkens and the eclipse comes in to view. O'Connell designed a 'rock' t-shirt for the eclipse, showing the path of the eclipse as if it were a rock band's tour. He said he's already sold 5,000 t-shirts in five weeks.
Given Depoe Bay's proximity to a major geological fault line, Mayor Barbara Leff says earthquake and tsunami preparation is second nature to the town's residents.
"This community has been practicing for a major catastrophe for years and years, and a lot of the eclipse preparations in some ways mirror those disaster preparations," she said. "We've been doing what we're used to doing and hopefully we are all prepared."
One of the major challenges, Leff says, is anticipating how many people will show up.
The spectacle is the first in 99 years to span the entire continental United States, the world's third most populous nation. It will also be the first total solar eclipse visible from any of the lower 48 states since 1979.
The city's handful of hotels and campgrounds have been sold out for months and crowd estimates range from thousands to hundreds of thousands.
The city held its first eclipse meeting four years ago at its tiny two-room City Hall, a former wooden schoolhouse.
Since serious planning began eight months ago, the city has rented portable restrooms, bought a hundred additional garbage cans, and ordered thousands of protective glasses to be distributed free at the local fire station.
It also has handed out leaflets advising residents to stock up on food, medicine, cash and gas, and prepare for traffic gridlock.
The only way into and out of Depoe Bay is Highway 101, which has only one lane in each direction in the area. Even a minor traffic accident can completely stop traffic, said Depoe Bay Fire Chief Joshua Williams.
"There's no other options, no other detours, so when the 101 gets tied up, then it ties up a lot of other areas," Williams said.
Normally, only one fire station in the area is staffed, but for the four days surrounding the eclipse, firefighters will staff three stations. Williams says he is working with state authorities to keep traffic lanes clear for emergency vehicles.
And it's not just congestion on the roads the city has to worry about. With what it calls "the world's smallest harbor," Depoe Bay is also preparing for hundreds of boaters trying to use the town's lone boat launch.
The Coast Guard will monitor boating traffic and will have a vessel stationed at the entrance to the harbor, Coast Guard spokesman Andrew Port said. Guardsmen will board boats to make sure boaters are prepared.
At Dockside Charters, Loren Goddard has rented out most of his boats for fishing trips, but there's still space on a three-hour cruise for visitors with $100 hankering to see the eclipse from the ocean.
"You're first on the scene. It's going to happen there before it makes landfall," said Goddard, who plans to be 30 miles offshore fishing for tuna when the time comes.
Alison Young runs the Tiki-themed Bay Walk Cafe, painted with a brightly-colored tropical mural and displaying a hand-crafted sign advertising her 'almost-famous' gluten-free clam chowder.
She the city had warned business owners like her to expect a deluge of visitors in the days leading up to the eclipse. Imagining visitors sleeping in their cars desperate for a cup of coffee or a hot-dog at three in the morning, she decided to keep the cafe open for 72 hours straight, but has trimmed down her menu to a handful of items from its usual 40 to ensure she can stay stocked up with supplies. Everything will be sold at its usual price, she said.
At Toasted Tea and Coffee, owner Brett Gold will be sleeping in a trailer in the alleyway behind the shop so he can make sure the shop stays open. He expects to get through a day's worth of milk in a couple of hours in the day before and day of the eclipse but when the sky starts to darken, the doors will close.
"People are going to want to view the eclipse, they're not going to be wanting to buy a cup of coffee," he said. "In fact, if they did, I'd tell them they were crazy and get out of the shop." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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