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Oregon Officials Say They're Ready For Eclipse

As Oregon Governor Kate Brown listens, Tyree Wilde of the National Weather Service describes likely weather conditions for next Monday's eclipse.
Chris Lehman
/
Northwest News Network
As Oregon Governor Kate Brown listens, Tyree Wilde of the National Weather Service describes likely weather conditions for next Monday's eclipse.

A million people may flock to Oregon over the coming week to view the total eclipse of the sun. State officials said Tuesday that they're as prepared as they can possibly be. 



Gov. Kate Brown has declared a state of emergency, but it's mostly to clear red tape so state and local agencies can work together to respond to any problems that arise.

The big wild card at this point appears to be the weather.

"Right now it looks like central and eastern Oregon has the best chances of viewing the eclipse,” said Tyree Wilde of the National Weather Service in Portland. ”West of the Cascades, we have kind of a greater likelihood of some clouds moving through from time to time.”

And Tom Fuller of the Oregon Department of Transportation has a warning for people who try to hurry to a different viewing location based on cloud cover the day of the eclipse. 

"The bottom line is, don't do it,” he said.

ODOT is worried especially that heavy traffic will clog two-lane highways in the Coast Range and the Cascades.

Copyright 2017 Northwest News Network

Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.
Chris Lehman
Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.