- Fill up your vehicle with fuel in advance.
- Avoid driving, if possible, and walk or bike instead.
- If you are travelling out of town, know local business hours before your visit.
- Have multiple forms of communication available beyond cell phone service.
- Create a family safety plan: communicate your destinations, anticipated departure and arrival times, and alternate contact information to your loved ones before you leave.
- Check the weather and prepare for inclement weather.
- Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.
- Prepare an emergency kit for your travels, which includes:
- Plenty of drinking water and snacks
- First aid kit and medications
- Sun protection (i.e., sunscreen, hats)
- Hard copy maps
- Comfortable clothing and footwear
- Cash
2024 Solar Eclipse
Do not look directly at the sun! Looking directly at the sun, without appropriate protection, can lead to serious problems such as partial or complete loss of eyesight.
On Monday, April 8th, parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada will experience a solar eclipse.
The eclipse will be an exciting event to see and is expected to draw plenty of attention and tourism. However, if you are planning to watch the eclipse, it is important to watch it safely.
What to expect
In Lambton County, we will experience a partial solar eclipse between 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on April 8, with the peak happening at approximately 3:15 p.m. That’s when most of the sun’s light will be covered by the Moon.
During the eclipse, the moon will pass in between the sun and earth, causing a period of temporary darkness, as if it were dawn or dusk.
Lambton County will be near – though not completely covered by - the eclipse’s path of totality. If you are travelling south to the path of totality – or even staying in Lambton County, where a 99% eclipse is anticipated – you may experience:
- Traffic delays
- Increased tourism
- Heightened demand for services at fueling stations, restaurants, and hotels
- Delivery delays and supply chain pressures
- Strains on cellular service
If you are planning on travelling, or will be driving during the time of the eclipse, here are some tips that may be helpful:
- As always, put cellphones and other potential distractions away and practice attentive driving.
- Turn on your headlights.
- If viewing the eclipse, pull off highways and major roadways to view from a safe, less busy location.
- Do not wear eclipse glasses while driving.
Safety first!
It is not safe to look at the sun without proper eye protection. Even looking at a small sliver of the Sun during a solar eclipse can be harmful to vision and could cause:
- Retinal burns;
- Blurred vision;
- Temporary vision loss;
- Permanent eyesight loss.
Since the retinas of the eyes do not have pain sensors, eye damage from looking at the sun may not be immediately apparent (can take 12-48 hours to appear).
Learn more about Solar Eclipse Safety from Lambton Public Health
Resources
- Total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 – Canadian Space Agency
- How to safely watch a solar eclipse – Canadian Space Agency
- Solar Eclipse Safety Sheet – Canadian Space Agency
- Solar Eclipse Safety – Lambton Public Health
- Solar Eclipse Livestream – NASA
- Make A Pinhole Viewer – Canadian Space Agency
- Educators Toolkit – Canadian Space Agency
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