When the sky above a city referred to as Buffalo briefly goes dark on April 8, the city will transcend its reputation, commonly associated with snowstorms and sports failures, if only for about three minutes. After that, it’s up to Buffalo to make the most of its moment in the sun, or rather, out of the sun, as it anticipates an estimated one million eclipse tourists. The city’s excellent vantage point for witnessing the rare total eclipse has resulted in fully booked hotels, nearly full campgrounds, and scarce rental cars. Buffalo’s Erie County and nearby Niagara County lie in the prime location to observe the eclipse in its totality. Officials have been preparing for this event for a year, collaborating with cellphone companies to improve signal capacity and coordinating emergency services to handle the influx of visitors.
