Expert concerned about fuel supply issues during eclipse

Transportation experts expect an astronomical number of cars on Central Texas’ roads around the time of Monday’s total solar eclipse, and that could cause fuel supply problems for travelers navigating the region – if they aren’t prepared.

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Transportation experts expect an astronomical number of cars on Central Texas’ roads around the time of Monday’s total solar eclipse, and that could cause fuel supply problems for travelers navigating the region – if they aren’t prepared.

Paul Hardin, the president and CEO of the Texas Food & Fuel Association, said his organization has been preparing for this event since last October’s annual solar eclipse. Hardin’s association – which advocates for fuel processors, transporters and sellers – has been telling its members to get topped up on fuel and refill over the weekend.

Hardin said travelers should fill up their tanks on the way to their destination.

“We encourage folks to not wait, not show up on a quarter tank of gas, and then Monday we have mass exodus folks are trying to fill up all at once and the system is not really built to handle that,” he said. “We just don't want, basically, a replay of Hurricane Harvey.”

In 2017, after Hurricane Harvey, the state saw a short-term gas shortage. The problem snowballed as panicked residents across the state rushed to fill up their tanks and service stations ran dry.

Unlike Hurricane Harvey, Hardin said, Texas has plenty of gas supply. The question for Monday will be whether stations can keep refilling.

“You can't expect someone to go sit in six hours of traffic to go 20 miles to deliver fuel, so that's one of the things guys are monitoring, is traffic,” Hardin said.

The Texas Department of Transportation is telling Central Texans to expect heavy traffic and sudden stops by drivers.

“TxDOT crews are getting equipment and traffic signs together to help direct traffic safely and will be available 24 hours a day during the event,” according to a TXDOT notice. “TxDOT is also preparing highway signs to share messages saying, ‘NO STOPPING ON HIGHWAY TO VIEW ECLIPSE’ and ‘NO PARKING ON SHOULDER, KEEP MOVING.’

TXDOT offers the following tips:

• Expect heavier-than-usual traffic in the days before, during and after the eclipse, especially on major corridors near the path of totality.
• Leave early and plan your route. Your drive may take longer than predicted. DriveTexas.org  has up-to-date traffic conditions.
• Find a safe, designated space to park before the eclipse. Do not stop in the middle of the road or on a road shoulder.
• “Drive friendly, the Texas way.” Bring a calm and courteous attitude on the road with you.
• Enjoy the beautiful wildflowers that will be in bloom, but don’t drive over or trample them, so they can grow back next year.
• Don’t let litter eclipse Texas. Dispose of all waste in a proper trash can.

Disaster declarations

County judges in most Central Texas counties in the direct path of the eclipse issued disaster declarations, or have plans to.

Travis County Judge Andy Brown told KXAN he was particularly concerned with traffic patterns, and the declaration would provide his government more power to close of roads, if needed.

“What the disaster declaration does is it makes it easier for us to require things that are going to make it easier for emergency vehicles to get around,” Brown said.

According to the GreatAmericanEclipse.com, Texas could see 900,000 to 3.7 million people traveling for the event. Marble Falls, Burnet, Fredericksburg and Kerrville are nearly dead-center in the moon’s complete shadow – or path of totality – and will experience close to the maximum amount of shadow time, or just over 4 minutes.

Those towns are expecting significant tourism activity. Hardin said people heading to those smaller towns should plan ahead for fuel.

“Look at Fredericksburg. That's not far away. You've got a town that's expecting, I think, 150,000 visitors,” Hardin said. “They have seven fueling sites to serve that vicinity.”