Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has declared a state of emergency ahead of the total solar eclipse that will cross North America on Monday.
In the order declaring the emergency, Sanders cited the “backlog of deliveries by commercial vehicles transporting essential items of commerce” that may occur from the expected increase in travel to the state due to the eclipse.
“Out of an abundance of caution, I’ve directed funds to be released from the Response and Recovery Fund ahead of the Great American Eclipse,” Sanders said in a statement.
“This will assist commercial carriers transporting essential items to customers in Arkansas during the eclipse. We want to make sure Arkansans and all visitors have an enjoyable experience and come back again and again,” she added.
The order releases $100,000 from the Governor’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund to help with the state’s response.
The money will be used at the discretion of A.J. Gary, the Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, “to defray both program and administrative costs.”
Gary told a local outlet that the funds is mainly “to make sure that we have expenses so that we can continue to operate” since “we’re not anticipating any resources that we’ll have to purchase.”
The state of emergency will remain in effect until April 10.