A Texas town will be in the path of Monday’s total solar eclipse, giving tourists and residents a completely different perspective on the region after it became the site of the nation’s deadliest school shooting. I’m hopeful that people will come to see it.
In Uvalde, where 15,000 residents are still reeling from the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School that killed 19 children and two adults, Monday’s eclipse is expected to draw nearly seven times as many visitors. I predict that. The Daily Mail first reported on Saturday..
The eclipse will plunge the area into darkness for 4 minutes and 18 seconds. According to NASA trackers.
“We’re anticipating 50,000 to 75,000 visitors countywide,” John Eakle, director of tourism for the Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce, told the Saturday Post.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome so many visitors from around the world to our wonderful community. We love the natural beauty of this place and the warm, friendly diversity of Uvalde. I would like to introduce you to
A tsunami of visitors expected to experience Uvalde’s 115-mile-wide totality on Monday began on May 24, when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos burst into a fourth-grade classroom and opened fire, killing 19 students and a teacher. This comes less than two years after the murder of two people. 2022.
“We have always been, and always will be, more than just unfortunate victims of school violence,” Yeakle said.
“This is a horrific tragedy and my heart goes out to the families most directly affected,” he told the Daily Mail. “Everyone who lives here in Uvalde, he’s probably never been more than one degree away from someone who was there that day, and I’m no different.”
To outsiders, Yeakle added, Uvalde should be seen as a “gateway” to Southwest Texas, not the site of the nation’s deadliest school shooting.
“We are not interested in inviting any more people,” he told the outlet. “We are concerned about how we will accommodate those who are already planning to attend.”
Yeakle estimates that two-thirds of the visitors drive from other parts of Texas, including Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
“There are probably 4 million people within 200 miles of us,” the tourism director told the Mail about the expected traffic jams. “There will be hours of delay in the two major arteries.”
Meanwhile, Uvalde County is a “perfect location” to observe astronomical phenomena such as a total solar eclipse, officials said, because it has vast areas free of light pollution.
“Greater Texas is considered one of the best states for tourism due to its favorable weather and is predicted to have the highest number of visitors in all of the state.” The Uvalde County Visitor Center website says:.
“Come enjoy nature, wildlife and rivers while experiencing nature’s greatest celestial show.”
Investigators later learned that Ramos, who was killed by authorities responding to the school, had complained of being bullied as a fourth-grader at Robb Elementary School in the weeks before the shooting.
Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez, who was on leave during the bloodshed, resigned last month after a city-commissioned report defended the department’s response — according to a scathing Justice Department report. “It has been shown that there is no urgency,” he said, leaving some of his 21 relatives to resign. The victims were furious.
Rodriguez’s resignation took effect Saturday, while Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith abruptly resigned on Monday, citing “unforeseen medical issues experienced in recent weeks.” According to the American Statesman in Austin, he said:.
Mayor Pro-Tem Everardo Zamora will remain in office until the November elections.
