LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Ahead of the eclipse, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and released funds to assist commercial carriers transporting essential items during the eclipse, waiving specific federal restrictions for those.
The funds are in the amount of $100,000 and will come from the Response and Recovery Fund. The decision was made "out of an abundance of caution", according to a press release sent by the governor on the night of Friday, April 5.
"We want to make sure Arkansans and all visitors have an enjoyable experience and come back again and again," said Sanders. "This will assist commercial carriers transporting essential items to customers in Arkansas during the eclipse."
This state of emergency waives certain federal restrictions on commercial vehicles transporting the essential items for up to 14 days following the declaration of emergency.
Essential items include food and groceries, pharmacy items, medical equipment, fuel and livestock.
Much of Arkansas will experience totality of a solar eclipse on April 8, with the state expecting up to 1.5 million visitors during this period. The Arkansas Department of Transportation is also preparing for more than five hours of traffic, particularly in Little Rock metro area heading up to northwest Arkansas on Interstates 40, 49 and 65.
Sanders says this could result in a backlog of deliveries by commercial vehicles transporting essential items, which could result in "dangers and hardships."
Arkansas is not the first state to declare a state of emergency ahead of the eclipse, Indiana had previously declared one, as well as multiple cities and counties in New York and Texas.
The $100,000 will be used for the program and administrative costs at the discretion of the Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.
The state of emergency will remain in effect until April 10.
