INDIANA - Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has signed an executive order ahead of April 8's solar eclipse in anticipation of increased emergency service needs.

The order, which declares a statewide disaster emergency, became effective Tuesday, March 26, and terminates at 11:59 p.m., April 9.

The order states that over the past year, state and local agencies have been preparing for the rare event which hasn't been seen in Indiana since 1869 and isn't expected to happen again until 2099.

Gov. Holcomb expects a massive influx of people to the state which may impact emergency response times, communications, transportation, and several other parts of critical infrastructure.

Indiana is part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) which can offer assistance and resources from another member state, once a disaster emergency has been put in place by Indiana's governor.

You can view the executive order here for full details.