September is national Emergency Preparedness Month. It’s a good time to talk about being prepared for the October 14 eclipse.

Public Health emergency preparedness focuses on  helping the community stay healthy and safe during a period of  emergency. On August 8, the Klamath County Board of Commissioners  declared a local emergency concerning the eclipse. This provides  access to state and other resources should they be necessary.

Areas of preparedness that should always be addressed are:

Personal needs, such as food and water, child care needs, special health care needs, pet care needs.

Prescriptions. Ensuring there is a supply for a  two-week period is always a good practice. Those using oxygen should  have a plan, if there is a power failure. Insulin users also needs to  ensure there is proper storage and access during  an emergency. Medications should always be kept in a safe place.

Paperwork, such as vaccination records, passports  and birth certificates, should also be kept in a safe place, but be  easily accessible if relocation is necessary.

Public Health also encourages community members to  know their neighbors and to check on friends and family during an  emergency. An elderly friend might need help but might not ask for it.

Based upon the numbers seen during the Great  Eclipse of 2017, the Klamath area could see up to 60,000 visitors for  this eclipse. The Klamath area is one of the nation’s best viewing  points for the eclipse.

With a bit of preparation, the experience will be memorable in a positive way.

Tips for getting through the eclipse week

Here are some tips to make your experience better during the week of the eclipse.

• Get your grocery shopping done about a week or more ahead of time. Not  only will you beat the crowds, but this gives our stores time to  restock.
• Pick up your prescriptions and/or medical supplies early.
• Get doctor and dental appointments out of the way. It will start getting  crowded the Thursday prior to the eclipse and could remain busy for  several days.
• Conserve energy by unplugging appliances you’re not using and do  laundry, use dishwashers and other necessities at low peak hours.
• Be prepared for slow internet.
• Fill your gas tanks.
• Get cash. ATMs might run out or be hindered by slow internet.
• Overall, supplies will be limited and high demand may mean you can’t get all of the things you need and want.
• Traffic will be heavy and lines for food and in stores will be long. Please be patient.

Eye safety

Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera  lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter  secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye  injury.

Eclipse glasses are not regular sunglasses; regular  sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Safe  solar viewers are thousands of times darker and must comply with the ISO  12312-2 international standard.

Cultural bonus

In a news release, Klamath Tribal Health &  Family Services officials shared this information about the local Tribal  nation’s beliefs:

In tribal history, Lok slo’ki – ‘Grizzly Bear  Eats’ is a time when Grizzly eats the sun or moon. At this time the  people gather to make noise, asking Frog Woman (Moon’s wife, who can be  seen in the moon) to use her powers on the bear  to drive him away. It is a time of change and power. Some stay inside,  others watch, most pray at this time.

Stay informed

You can follow the Klamath Eclipse 2023 Facebook page and watch the KlamathEclipse2023.wordpress.com site to stay up-to-date on eclipse information.

Make the right call

Here are some helpful numbers if you need assistance:

2-1-1

Connect with local resources

9-8-8

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

5-1-1

Oregon TripCheck - Travel Info

6-7-7

Oregon State Police

9-1-1

Emergency Line

Non-emergency number Klamath County Sheriff and Oregon State Police

To make a non-emergency report call 541-884-4876  and use key option No. 4. This non-emergency call makes a report,  generates an incident and is tracked but does not interfere with the  emergency side of 911 dispatch.