The Ontario, Canada, region of Niagara Falls declared the emergency ahead of the April 8 eclipse, which will be the first to touch the province since 1979. National Geographic has said that Niagara Falls is one of the best places to see it.

The Ontario city has the same name as Niagara Falls, New York, which is on the other side of Canada's border with the United States.

The city is in the path of totality, which will receive no solar rays for a few minutes on April 8 as the moon blocks the sun. Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said in March that he expects the most visitors his city has ever seen in a single day.

Mr. Diodati told media outlets that up to 1 million people may travel to the city to see the eclipse. "Clear weather is the cherry on top," he added. "I'm just keeping fingers crossed and hoping."

The regional municipality of Niagara is proactively invoking a state of emergency to prepare for the event.

The declaration announced last week sets in motion some additional planning tools to prepare for the day, which could involve major traffic jams, heavier demands on emergency services, and cellphone network overloads.

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul warned travelers in the state to expect high amounts of traffic as a number of eclipse-viewing events will be held. She said that lane closures and construction will be halted ahead of the astronomical event.

"New York is ready to welcome millions of visitors, and my administration has been working hard to ensure everyone in the path of the eclipse can safely enjoy this rare event," Ms. Hochul said last week.

"I encourage anyone traveling for this experience to plan on arriving early to their destination and staying late to enjoy all of what our state has to offer."