An astronomical rarity will have some down-to-Earth consequences today, as thousands of Americans will flock to specific vantage points to spot a total solar eclipse. Georgia will not be in the stripe that sees a total blackout of the sun. This time around, Atlantans will get to see an odd spectacle without major strain on the roads. That is a far cry from what Georgia experienced in 2017.
Two metro Atlanta school systems will change the learning plan around this event.
Coming off of a weeklong spring break, DeKalb County will keep students at home for an independent learning day. Cobb County will release students early, ahead of when the eclipse begins in the area, which is around 1:45 p.m.
Some parts of the state were in eclipse totality six years ago, and nearly all Metro Atlanta schools delayed dismissals that day, given how much of the sun would be covered in town. One reason for the late releases was to eliminate road traffic during the peak of the eclipse and also to allow schools to use the blackout as a teaching tool.
In that August 21st event, sightseers flocked to the North Georgia mountains. This migration jammed many mountain roads coming to and from the best viewing spots. Some drivers bucked the demands of local authorities and parked on the shoulders of busy highways and sinuous mountain roads. Normally sleepy mountain and forest towns roared to life for a few precious hours. And the rush hour push away from these places created quite unusual jams in strange places.
We flew the WSB Skycopter then to the delays on I-85 in Commerce and on Hwy. 365 above where I-985 changes names. Those are strange places to see midday traffic on a weekday without some wreck or road work as a culprit.
The height of the August 2017 eclipse also had a staggeringly positive effect on the Metro Atlanta streets during the peak totality. They were nearly deserted, at least by Atlanta’s standards, as people pulled out of traffic to witness the nearly full eclipse intown. For a…
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