Miami County will experience a total solar eclipse when the moon passes between the Sun and Earth on April 8 between 1:53 and 4:25 p.m. The county will be completely in the path of totality for 3 minutes and 45 seconds with maximum totality at 3:11 p.m., according to information from the county Emergency Management Agency.
Stewart said activities are being planned across the county with details available at the special website for the eclipse at miamicountysolareclipse.com. Additional events will be added as details are finalized.
For example, Tipp City is planning a Solar Eclipse Block Party downtown from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6, featuring entertainment and children’s activities along with the downtown’s shopping and dining activities. In Troy, a Solar Eclipse Shuffle downtown is being planned from 6 to 9 p.m. April 5 at The Rec, 11 N. Market St.
Several eclipse viewing locations will be designated across the county.
Hotels report being busier than usual with bookings for early April, Stewart said.
“Many of the hotels in the area have a lot of rooms already booked for the weekend leading up to the eclipse and the evening of the eclipse. I was told by several hoteliers that they had rooms booked much earlier than normal for that time of year,” she said.
The visitors bureau is coordinating website information, securing eclipse glasses and working on keepsake items to sell during the event. Among items in the works are keepsake posters, stickers and special county T-shirts and sweatshirts.
Things to consider:
The Miami County Emergency Management Agency has put together information on the eclipse for residents, including the following things to consider:
The county expects a significant increase in visitors to the area between Friday, April 5, and Tuesday, April 9. Traffic will be heavy, and lines may be long for local services such as restaurants, gas stations, grocery and retail stores. Residents are asked to consider doing what they can ahead of time and allowing extra time to get where they need to go.
- Errands and appointments: Schedule important activities before April 5 or after April 9. Check ahead if there are plans for Monday, April 8, as some services may be closed or have limited hours.
- Supplies, gas, cash: Supplies may be limited due to high demand, which may mean some things may not be available during the congested period. If there is something important needed, get it early.
- 911: Know when it is appropriate to call 911 (true emergencies). If not a true emergency, use the non-emergency number to contact the County Dispatch Center at 937-440-9911.
- Cellular service: With the increased number of visitors, anticipate cellular service may be overwhelmed (primarily April 8). Develop a communication plan with family and friends if service is lost. If there is only a mobile phone at home, find out which neighbors have a land-line number in case you need to call 911 for an emergency.
More information about this year’s eclipse is available at:
https://www.miamicountysolareclipse.com/
https://ema.ohio.gov/media-publications/ohio-total-solar-eclipse
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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