Eclipse preparations underway

Nov. 4—Area entities are preparing for next year's total eclipse.

On April 8, Ashtabula County will be in the path of a total solar eclipse. According to NASA, at about 3:15 p.m., skies will go dark over Ashtabula County as the moon moves between our area and the sun.

Mike Fitchet, director of the Ashtabula County Emergency Management Agency, said based on reports from other areas that have seen total eclipses, the population of the county could double on the day of the eclipse due to the number of visitors.

"The eclipse, it's one of those things that happens once in a lifetime," he said. "It happens to be in our area this time, it hasn't been in the past."

Ashtabula County is in the southern part of the area of total eclipse, Fitchet said.

"They're predicting huge amounts of people coming to view that, from past experience," he said. "Where we're getting our information is after-action reports of what has already happened in the past, and how many people will travel to come and see that."

The EMA is trying to make people aware of how many people could be coming to or traveling through the area, Fitchet said.

"The people to the east of us will be traveling west to see this, because they're not going to be able to see the full eclipse," he said. "So that is the main concern; what does that traffic do, what things do you have to be worried about? That's what EMA's worried about, or concerned about, or planning for."

Fitchet said the EMA is working to make sure first responders are aware of the increase in people so they can staff appropriately.

"There's predictions, and it's all based on past eclipses, that we could double our population for that day, to see that event," he said.

The EMA started collecting information about a year ago, Fitchet said.

The agency is hosting monthly calls with first responders, the National Weather Service in Cleveland, the Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau, schools and libraries to help prepare.

"If traffic gets jammed up on that day, and you have a business, maybe you don't want to have your deliveries come, for example," Fitchet said. "There's some past eclipses where the traffic was horrendous.

"We don't know how many people are actually going to come, and how many are going to stay in Ashtabula County, but we just want to be aware that it could be a big number."

Fitchet said the weather service is involved because it is impossible to know what the weather will be like in early April.

"You could be in the middle of a snowstorm, or you could be 70 degrees and completely sunny," he said. "That's why we've included the weather service, to get the best predictions we can for that day and that week. Some people will make a different plan, if it's going to be cloudy here, or you're not going to see it at all, why drive here? ... But they still have to go through Ashtabula County if they're coming from the east, and then they have to come back through if they're going back home."

The EMA is developing an interactive map to show what places are available to watch the eclipse, Fitchet said.

"We're going to do that within our group over the next two months, and then we're going to publish that map so people have it available," he said. "We're going to put other landmarks on there too, where the hospitals are, some of these things that are important to people that might not be from here."

The EMA has put out a list of suggestions for residents, visitors and employers.

Among suggestions for residents and visitors are being prepared for crowds, lines and traffic, dress accordingly based on the weather, having cell phone chargers, snacks, water and first-aid supplies readily available, and have an emergency kit and plan.

Businesses are encouraged to be prepared for a large jump in customers and order goods and prepare staffing levels accordingly, encourage employees to have a full tank of gas before visitors start arriving, prepare for more cash transactions, as credit and debit transactions may take longer due to volume and prepare for potential cell service overloads.

The list will be expanded if the group believes any additional information needs added, Fitchet said.

"Whether [the public] wants to watch it or not, they need to know that the county might be busy that day, and you need to pay attention to that," he said.

Stephanie Siegel, executive director of the Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the ACCVB has received reports from most of the lodgers in the county, stating that they are already full.

"We are not going to promote it a ton, because there's nowhere for people to spend the night, however, any activities that are going on, we're going to be promoting those, because it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be in the heart of the blackout," Siegel said.

She said Grand River Valley wineries are planning an eclipse trail.

The CVB ordered a large quantity of eclipse viewing glasses to distribute to members this spring, Siegel said.

"We've also been on several calls and been in communication with other communities that have been in the path of totality in the past, when there have been these events, and essentially, it's hard to anticipate, and all of the towns we've talked to have had wonderful events, where yes, there was a lot of traffic and at points, there was a little bit of a stand-still, so they just anticipated that, but there's never been any kind of problems anywhere," she said.

She said people travel internationally to witness these events.

"So they're coming to spend several days in this area to experience this," Siegel said.

The ACCVB is encouraging people to come to the area early and stay late, she said.

"It's unreasonable to think that you can fly on over at the last minute and then get back home quickly, because there's going to be so much traffic," Siegel said.

If people are patient, everyone will have a great experience, she said.

"What I'm so happy to see is, at the beginning of April, several businesses that are not traditionally open, or not open on Mondays, are planning to be open," Siegel said. "So, our small businesses are stepping up to accomodate the crowds."