Region preps for 2024 solar eclipse
Apr. 10—LIMA — On April 8, 2024, this region will experience a total solar eclipse as the moon will pass between Earth and the sun, totally blocking the sunlight. While this event is just under a year away, area organizers do not want to be left in the dark when it comes to reaping the benefits and preparing for the challenges this event will bring.
That was the message from Russ Decker to the Lima Rotary Club during the club's regular Monday meeting at Veterans Memorial Civic Center. Along with the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce, Decker is working with a local task force to coordinate the planning efforts for Allen County, with Decker and the chamber helping with community engagement.
With 70 percent of the U.S. population living within a day's drive of Ohio, the turnout to our region to see this event will be enormous. Decker told Rotarians that the task force is working to learn from the experiences of people in Kentucky, who experienced a total eclipse in 2017.
"What we've learned from 2017 is, in those areas where you're going to get a view of the total eclipse, the population surge can be anywhere from double to three times the current population," he said. "So for us here in Allen County, that means we could see anywhere from another 100,000 to 200,000 people trying to show up in Allen County to view the eclipse."
This could put an enormous strain on local infrastructure, Decker said, whether it is emergency response, traffic flow and commutes and even cell phone service. The chamber is also reaching out to area agricultural representatives to help them prepare for the possibility of sightseers using fields to get a good view of the astronomical event.
"What we saw in Kentucky and what we're trying to avoid here is a lot of people just stopping in people's private yards and farm fields and setting up tents," Decker said.
While the event will bring its own challenges, it will also bring what could be unprecedented economic and marketing opportunities for the region. Decker mentioned possibilities such as having the fairgrounds serve as an area for camping for visitors or scheduling entertainment events at the new downtown pavilion as a way to keep visitors in the area for longer and reduce the potential for traffic jams, although nothing has yet been confirmed.
Wapakoneta is also working to take advantage of the economic potential for this event. Events have already been scheduled at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, Riverside Arts Center and the Auglaize County Fairgrounds.
The Lima and Wapakoneta Chambers of Commerce have each created a website to keep both residents and potential visitors appraised of events and happenings surrounding next year's eclipse. The Lima website is http://www.seetheeclipse.org while Wapakoneta events can be found at http://www.wapaksolareclipse.com.
Reach Craig Kelly at 567-242-0391 or on Twitter @cmkelly419.
