MINEOLA, Texas — The countdown is on for the celestial event of a lifetime!
A total solar eclipse will pass right through East Texas in just a couple months. Some cities and towns - including Tyler - are planning big events to celebrate while others are planning to lay low.
It’s a solar spectacle that won’t be back in East Texas for another 40 years. April’s total solar eclipse is expected to draw in visitors from all over the world.
"We're going to have a lot of people coming through town, Our hotels are already full, our civic center, our RV parks are already full, we already know that people are coming," Director of Tourism for Mineola Owen Tiner said.
But some small cities like Mineola don’t plan to host any public events. The city wants to keep Mineola intact and safe.
Tiner said hosting an eclipse viewing party would put a strain on the city’s resources, which is what happened during the last eclipse in 2017.
Mineola Fire Marshal David Madsen said it got to the point where people were stopping on the interstate to view the eclipse.
"Our biggest concern is traffic.. keeping traffic moving, and not blocking our streets and keeping emergency vehicles from having access," Madsen said.
Last month, Mineola decided to cancel plans for an eclipse party at the Nature Preserve. Even though the city isn’t holding an event, there are still private events happening.
"We're going to to put on as much staff as possible, we only have so much. I know EMS is going to put on extra units and personnel in their entire coverage area that's in the path," Madsen said.