Solar eclipses are an awe-inspiring event. While ancient civilizations observed them with caution, creating mythologies about hungry dragons, angry gods and even a mischievous black squirrel, modern humans excitedly converge for a chance to see what is often a rare opportunity.

Come Apr. 8 and in the days before, tens of millions of us will giddily drive hours to get the best look at the path of totality, a 115-mile-wide line stretching from Maine to Texas where the moon will completely obscure the sun for about four minutes, depending on where you’re located. The whole event will take about two and a half hours and be within driving distance of around 200 million Americans.

Aside from the sky slowly turning dark, as if it were dawn or dusk, a series of unusual things will happen.

As the eclipse begins, the natural world around us will undergo a dramatic transformation. Animals, plants, and bugs will almost immediately adapt to the sudden darkness, exhibiting nocturnal behavior. The familiar sounds of birds chirping will be replaced by the chorus of crickets and other bugs.

Cows and chickens will take shelter, while evening mammals like possums and raccoons will commence their nighttime routines. Plants will droop and stop absorbing water, and some flowers will close up for the night. Even at sea and in other bodies of water, significant changes will ripple through the ecosystem.

The temperature will drop by up to 14 degrees, allowing the wind to slow and change direction. Fossil fuel use will increase as solar and wind power drops during what is normally a peak energy use time of day. Localized diesel pollution will temporarily increase as enormous numbers of cars head to the path of totality in 15 states.

There will also likely be a sharp increase in traffic fatalities, according to a recent analysis of Aug. 2017′s solar eclipse.

Solar Eclipsed

During the 2017 celestial event, the impact on our energy production was significant. Solar power generation plummeted by about 25%, resulting in an overall loss of renewable energy equivalent to about six gigawatts. That’s the daily energy usage of 600 million lightbulbs or 4.5 million homes.GIF HERE

This would ordinarily strain the grid, but grid operators plan for such events by increasing natural gas or coal use at power plants. The 2017 solar eclipse added around 10 million pounds of additional carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of driving approximately 11.2 million miles in an average passenger vehicle.

What’s different about Monday’s eclipse is the path of totality is significantly wider than in 2017, which was between 62 and 71 miles wide. That increases the amount of solar and wind energy affected and how much natural gas and oil will be needed to replace it.

In addition, the country now relies more on renewable energy, tripling solar capacity since 2017. Approximately 30 million homes rely on solar power today. Texas, a leading solar-producing state, could see its solar generation drop to 7.6% of capacity during the eclipse.

Traffic Chaos

Back in 2017, dozens of people died in traffic accidents related to the solar eclipse, according to a late March 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Navy, researchers concluded a 31% increase in fatal wrecks from around the time of the totality. “The total amounted to 46 extra deaths linked to the eclipse,” Donald Redelmeier, lead investigator of the study and a senior scientist in the Tory Trauma Research Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute, said in a press release. “These increases are similar in magnitude to the increased traffic risks observed around Thanksgiving.”

The data also noted that the wrecks occurred not during the darkness of the eclipse but in the hours after. In some states, motorists were stuck in traffic for up to 15 hours.

This year, the path of totality will occur close to far larger cities. An estimated 31.6 million U.S. residents live within the path of totality for April’s eclipse, compared to 12 million in 2017.

Included in the path of totality are the metropolitan areas of Chicago (9.5 million), Houston (6.9 million), Boston (4.8 million), Detroit (4.3 million), St. Louis (2.8 million), Pittsburgh (2.3 million), and Cincinnati (2.2 million).

Some experts said the traffic will be like 20 to 30 Super Bowls happening at once, making it one of the largest national events in history.

In addition, the regions experiencing totality will receive a massive influx of tourists.

“Many first-time viewers will attend the 2024 eclipse because of what they heard from those who saw the eclipse in 2017,” wrote Jonathan Upchurch, a transportation engineering consultant and emeritus professor at Arizona State University, in the September-October 2018 issue of TR News, a publication of the Transportation Research Board. “The event also will have a high number of repeat participants.”

Plus, the next North American eclipse won’t happen for another two decades, which means Monday’s event could be a final opportunity for some.

The Federal Highway Administration said delays will be unavoidable and asked people to arrive early and leave late. It also made several safety suggestions, including exiting the highway to a safe location to view the eclipse and avoid traveling in the path of totality.

Please share any pictures of the eclipse or what’s around you, like large crowds or gridlocked traffic. Send them along to: [email protected]