As a total solar eclipse moves across the United States on the morning of Monday, August 21st, crowds are expected to descend on locations in the path of totality. At the Barenbrug USA headquarters in Oregon, we are expected to have prime viewing of the eclipse. Oregon’s path of totality spans a band about 70 miles wide that will start at the coast and head east across the state. Experts are predicting that as many as 400,000 people will be in the Willamette Valley, the location of our headquarters, and 1 million people will come throughout Oregon to witness the eclipse.

 

Emergency management officials are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, and some businesses and other entities are adjusting schedules or closing for the day. The Oregon Department of Transportation expects the eclipse to be the “biggest traffic event” in the state’s history and is "treating the eclipse as a major event [and] emergency," spokesman David House said. As the first state to experience the spectacle, Oregon is expecting roughly a million people to be within the totality zone, leading to gridlock conditions on its interstates. "Oregon's total population is about four million, so we are going to be very overcapacity," House said, adding that the typical number of people on the state's highways is only in the "tens of thousands."

 

Due to the potential impact on traffic and logistics, and for the overall safety of our employees we will not be shipping on Monday, August 21st. Additionally, please be aware outside trucking companies may also experience delays and closures. The days leading up to and the days following the eclipse we will be running as usual but please be aware there may be unexpected delays.

 

We appreciate your patience during this time, please contact us if you have any concerns or questions.

 

Thank you,

 

The Barenbrug USA Team