McCoy: prepare early for April 8 eclipse

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Local residents and businesses should take steps to be prepared for a large influx of people coming to Van Wert County for the Monday, April 8 eclipse. That was the message given by Van Wert County EMA Director Rick McCoy during Monday’s final eclipse planning meeting.

The eclipse will travel across Ohio from southwest to northeast beginning around 1:54 p.m. in Van Wert County and ending around 4:27 p.m. Totality will begin throughout the county at 3:08 p.m. and will last approximately four minutes. All told, 35 Ohio counties, including Van Wert County, will have the entire county within the area of totality, which will lead to high viewing demand locally.

“If we would be cloudy that day that just means we’re going to be a little bit darker but when we say dark we mean it’s going to get extremely dark out,” McCoy said of totality. “It will affect a lot of the nocturnal animals. We’ll be talking with the Amish down in the southwestern part of Van Wert County. The Adams County (Indiana) Sheriff is going around to all the Amish within Adams County, warning the Amish that a lot of travelers will be coming through their county and they won’t be aware there are a lot of Amish buggies on the roads so they need to use extreme caution if they’re out.”

McCoy added that the expected influx of people wanting to experience the eclipse will come from the north and northwest.

“South Bend, Chicago, that region will be coming across and they’re going to be cutting down here on U.S. 30,” he explained. “Some of that Chicagoland (traffic) might head to Indianapolis but they’re thinking a lot of that northern Indiana region is going to be coming down U.S. 30, go past Fort Wayne because they’re not in totality, continue on U.S. 30 and come into our region right here.”

Figures previously provided by the Ohio EMA indicated as many as 28,000 people could come to Van Wert County for the eclipse, which would temporarily double the county’s population and would put a notable strain on various resources, including an overload of wi-fi and cellular services for hours.

McCoy also urged residents and restaurants to stock up on food the week before the eclipse.

“Don’t wait until that weekend in case we get that big surge of people coming into our community, which may deplete food supplies in grocery stores,” McCoy stated. “It’s just good to get it ahead of time. This would be the same as planning ahead for an ice storm or snowstorm.”

He urged local residents to fill their gas tanks in advance, as local gas stations may run out of fuel. He also said out of town traffic will be stopping on private property, business lots, driveways, fields and along highways to see the eclipse.

Local law enforcement agencies have adjusted schedules and will have a full compliment of officers ready for the day.

The public is being asked to refrain from calling 911 for transport to the hospital on eclipse day, unless absolutely necessary, as critical care calls and accident calls will likely increase due to additional people in the county and driving through the county. Local dialysis has been canceled for Monday, April 8 and moved up a day to Sunday.

While visitors are expected to begin flowing into the area as early as Friday, April 5, the biggest day is expected to be on April 8, including after the eclipse, when everyone tries to leave at once. Traffic gridlock is expected to be a problem, which played a big role in the decision to close all county schools for the day.

“Interstates and thoroughfares, they’re going to be packed,” McCoy said. “People don’t realize how many people around the country and the world are interested in this.”

The total eclipse will be the first in Ohio since 1806, the last in the U.S. until 2044, and the last one in Ohio until 2444.