A million people may flock to Oregon over the coming week to view the total eclipse of the sun. State officials said Tuesday that they're as prepared as they can possibly be. ??
Gov. Kate Brown has declared a state of emergency, but it's mostly to clear red tape so state and local agencies can work together to respond to any problems that arise.
The big wild card at this point appears to be the weather.
"Right now it looks like central and eastern Oregon has the best chances of viewing the eclipse,” said Tyree Wilde of the National Weather Service in Portland. ”West of the Cascades, we have kind of a greater likelihood of some clouds moving through from time to time.”
And Tom Fuller of the Oregon Department of Transportation has a warning for people who try to hurry to a different viewing location based on cloud cover the day of the eclipse.
"The bottom line is, don't do it,” he said.
ODOT is worried especially that heavy traffic will clog two-lane highways in the Coast Range and the Cascades.