As thousands of tourists make final travel preparations before the April 8 total solar eclipse, law enforcement and first responders in towns and cities along the eclipse’s path of totality are also solidifying their plans.
In McCurtain County, Oklahoma, the plan includes calling in National Guard troops — a fact that’s causing some social media users to claim something other than just a total solar eclipse is coming.
“The National Guard is going to be here now for the solar eclipse,” said a person in a March 15 Facebook reel. “This article today was released in an Oklahoma newspaper saying that they will have guardsmen present in McCurtain County for the solar eclipse. But things get much weirder. The 22 members of an elite chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear unit will be housed in Broken Bow in addition to 110 to 150 Oklahoma highway patrol troopers.”
The reel’s caption said: “This eclipse is waaaay BIGGER than we thinking… “
Others on Facebook, Instagram and X shared similar sentiments, with some including photos of a newspaper article.
“Why would any town need the national guards, present, for a solar eclipse?” a Facebook user wrote March 14. The post had some punctuation typos in it that we corrected here for understanding, but its message was: “Unless something is happening that they are not telling us about. Too many warnings from media and people going on about this eclipse event. We have never had eclipse warnings before and being told to stock up on food and supplies, etc.”
These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
The posts call to mind similar foreboding claims we have checked warning people of alleged emergencies and doomsday scenarios that have sometimes linked the size or intensity of a law enforcement response to a false or unproven scenario.
Located in the state’s southeastern corner, McCurtain County is solidly within the upcoming solar eclipse’s path of totality, making it an area viewers might flock to on April 8. Officials expect crowds of tourists and increased traffic and, as in other places along the path of totality, they have encouraged residents to prepare by buying fuel and groceries ahead of time.
This image from the NASA Eclipse Explorer website shows the path of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse over North America. (NASA via AP)
Because of the anticipated visitor surge, McCurtain County’s emergency management officials also requested support from the Oklahoma National Guard.
In public statements, the Oklahoma National Guard said it would be supporting local officials because of crowds. Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team members will be “available to assist local government agencies” during the eclipse, according to a March 18 statement.
Lt. Col. Jabonn Flurry, commander of the 63rd Civil Support Team, said McCurtain County officials requested support because up to 100,000 additional people are expected to visit the area to watch the eclipse. McCurtain County’s estimated population was 30,660 people as of July 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“This influx of visitors has the potential to overtax local resources and thanks to the training and experience our Guardsmen have working alongside local agencies all across Oklahoma, the CST is uniquely qualified to support our fellow Oklahomans,” Flurry said.
The 63rd Civil Support Team has hundreds of hours of training for responding to emergencies, including those involving hazardous materials, which would free up local responders to “continue their assistance to citizens and the expected increase of visitors,” the Oklahoma National Guard said in its statement.
But the plan is precautionary. PolitiFact contacted McCurtain County’s Emergency Management Agency and received no response.
Lt. Col. LeeAnn Tumblson, an Oklahoma National Guard spokesperson, said nearly 20 unit members would provide support that day.
“It is not unusual for the 63rd CST to be a part of something like this,” Tumblson said. “The CST often partners with other first responders to provide an additional level of protection for the public during large sporting, gaming, and gathering events.”
In 2023, the 63rd Civil Support Team participated in 15 civil support missions for events such as the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon and football games at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, Tumblson said.
In the past, the Oklahoma National Guard has responded to floods, wildfires, winter storms and tornadoes. In June 2020, 250 Oklahoma National Guard troops supported local law enforcement officers during President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This multiple exposure photograph shows the progression of a partial solar eclipse over the Gateway Arch in St. Louis on Aug. 21, 2017. (AP)
The Aug. 21, 2017, eclipse’s path of totality did not cross through Oklahoma, but other states’ National Guard members signaled their readiness to support local authorities if needed. In Oregon, the 2017 eclipse coincided with peak fire season, and National Guard members prepared to fight fires, with 150 soldiers authorized to help local authorities.
Our ruling
Facebook posts said the Oklahoma National Guard’s assistance for the April 8 eclipse signals something “bigger” is underway.
Officials in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, anticipate thousands of eclipse viewers and requested support from the Oklahoma National Guard. National Guard troops often support local and state authorities. We found no evidence that requesting National Guard support signals something “bigger” than the eclipse is on its way.
We rate these claims False.
PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird and Staff Writer Loreben Tuquero contributed to this report.
RELATED: Some communities brace for April eclipse viewing crowds, but not everyone needs to stockpile
