For the first time in nearly 100 years, the sun, Earth and moon will align for a total solar eclipse that will sweep the nation on Aug. 21. In Blue Ridge, you will be able to see the total eclipse for 40 seconds at 2:35 p.m.

The Fannin County Emergency Management Agency is planning for thousands of visitors into the Blue Ridge area for Eclipse Weekend. Expect nearly everything to be above capacity for nearly a week total. Residents, businesses and visitors should all be prepared for this historic event by keeping safety in mind.

Resident

•  Start planning now for where you will go to view the eclipse and make sure you're
  prepared.
• Prepare in advance to take care of your normal weekend activities.
•  Fill your car up with gas and buy groceries before the weekend.
•  Even if you do not plan to participate in any eclipse-related activities, expect heavy traffic and extremely busy areas in much of Blue Ridge.

Visitors

• Welcome to Fannin County! We hope you have a chance to discover everything
  the Blue Ridge area has to offer.
• Follow the guidance of local public safety officials and your event organizers. Our
  local police and fire fighters know their communities and how best to direct you to
  where you would like to go.
• Give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination throughout the weekend.
  Traffic will be heavy with large crowds going to and from events all weekend.
• Once you get to your eclipse event, stay there until well after the eclipse is over.
• If you are driving during the eclipse, KEEP MOVING. Do not stop your vehicle
  along any roadway.
• August in Georgia means it will be HOT. Be prepared for extreme heat.
• Make sure you have bottled water, sunscreen, first aid kit, and solar eclipse
  viewing glasses.
• Call 9-1- 1 for life-safety emergencies only.
• Make sure family members or friends back home know your schedule, when you
  are expected to return and your plan if something happens.

Businesses

• Prepare for a big jump in customers. Grocery stores, gas stations, hotels,
  restaurants, transportation services, coffee shops, retail stores, urgent care
  clinics and many other establishments will experience a jump in business. We
  encourage them to order goods and schedule staff accordingly.
• Merchants may want to adjust hours beginning August 18 through August 21.
• Fannin County schools will be closed on August 21. Be aware of this in case
  employees need to make schedule adjustments for their children.
• We will have many visitors who are not accustomed to Georgia’s extreme heat
  and they will be outside for most of the afternoon on August 21. Plan to have
  extra water available for customers looking to stock up in advance.
• Be aware that many visitors will be camping in both authorized and unauthorized
  locations; expect customers who may be primarily interested in using rest rooms.
• Encourage employees to have a full tank of gas prior to the time visitors begin to
  arrive in the area. Lines for fuel may occur and you’ll want staff to be able to get
  to work.
• Be prepared for more cash transactions and potential challenges with credit/debit
  card transactions taking longer than usual because of increased volumes.
  Consider having tills set up to accommodate more cash transactions.
• Be prepared for cell service overloads; there may be service disruptions due to
  the increase in visitors using networks. Visitors may have urgent requests to use
  your business telephone line if they are having trouble with cell service. Decide
  how you want to handle these requests and make sure employees know what to
  do.
•  Talk to suppliers. Some suppliers may be considering delivery schedule changes
  due to the event(s). Suppliers may also be looking at how the increased traffic on
  rural roads may impact delivery times.