By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
On Tuesday, the countdown clock will be at 26 days till Bowling Green has a perfect view of the total solar eclipse as it passes over the region. While the eclipse will last a few minutes, the headaches from the once-in-a-lifetime event are projected to last for hours – maybe days.
Local residents should expect clogged roadways, gas shortages and depleted grocery shelves.
Wood County Emergency Management Agency and Bowling Green officials have been planning for the eclipse for more than a year.
“We are really in a prime spot,” said Wood County EMA Director Jeff Klein, who spoke at the library about the upcoming eclipse.
While they don’t want local residents to panic, they do want them to be prepared, Klein said. Here’s some of what Wood County can expect:
- The Bowling Green area should expect a huge influx of those looking to experience the event, with the population projected to triple for the event. The EMA expects 260,000 additional people to come to Wood County, with a majority of them viewing Bowling Green and BGSU as a recognizable place to be for this experience.Travelers may be stopped on roadways to catch a glimpse.
- Cell phone service will be limited due to heightened use.
- The influx of people is likely to challenge businesses that provide food and gasoline.
- Some businesses and most schools will be closed for the day.
If you think the tractor pull and return of BGSU students create traffic issues, this eclipse will be like the tractor pull traffic on steroids.
And if the weather forecast is good, even more spectators can be expected.
“If they say it’s going to be 70 and sunny, get ready,” Klein said.
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. People within a 124-mile-wide band in Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. The city of Bowling Green is within this band.
Some lessons were learned during the last solar eclipse in 2017 that was visible in parts of Kentucky. Because of all the spectators, the five-hour drive from Wood County to viewing areas in Kentucky, turned into a 17.5-hour return drive home, KIein said.
Some gas stations ran dry. Restaurants and grocery stores were emptied. Emergency services were stretched thin. And more than 16,000 viewers without proper eyewear suffered eye injuries, Klein said.
A total solar eclipse is a rare event. Only 21 total solar eclipses have crossed the lower 48 states in the entire existence of the United States. The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806. The next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in 2099.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon casts its shadow on the Earth as it passes between the Earth and the sun. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon appears to totally obscure the sun.
Klein predicted that Bowling Green will be a popular place for eclipse viewers to park and wait for the big event. Local hotels and campsites are filling up, he said.
“People want to go where people are at. They want bathrooms and food,” he said. “The other days will be really irritating,” but Monday (April 8) will be the worst.
The timeline for the eclipse begins at 1:56 p.m. when it will start getting dark. The total eclipse will occur at 3:12 p.m. (the reason most schools are closed for the day), and by 4:30 p.m. it’s expected to be fully light again.
While travelers will trickle into Bowling Green, staking their spots for viewing, many of them may leave town enmasse – creating really heavy traffic from 3:30 to 7 p.m., Klein said.
The good news for local residents is that the main thoroughfares in Wood County have parallel state roads, like Ohio 25 and Ohio 795. The bad news is many drivers will be redirected to the smaller roads by Google or Waze when Interstate 75 and the Ohio Turnpike are overloaded.
Restrooms, trash receptacles, law enforcement, and medical services will be a premium. Ohio has 52,000 porta-potties available, but that won’t be enough, Klein said.
When asked by a Bowling Green resident to predict what it will be like on April 8, Klein replied, “I’ll tell you on the 9th.”
In addition to all the expected problems, other situations may put further demands on local services – like utility outages, lost children, civil unrest, weather issues like a tornado, road construction, and babies being born.
Amanda Gamby, city communications director, said Bowling Green officials have been working with Wood County EMA for months to prepare for the eclipse. EMA and city officials are asking local residents to make preparations for April 8.
- If you can, stay home to watch the eclipse. Don’t schedule an oil change or doctor’s appointment. “The more local people we can get staying at home, the better,” Klein said.
- Plan for possible services being halted for the day, such as mail deliveries, garbage pickup and meal deliveries.
- Expect parking lots off major roadways to be full. “If that was the day you were going to get license plates – don’t,” said Klein of the BMV office located off I-75.
- Make sure your vehicle has gas, since there will be gas shortages.
- Make sure to have some food at home, since groceries and restaurants will be taxed by visitors.
- Delay any non-emergency home repairs.
- Call ahead to make sure a business is open, since non-essential businesses are being asked to consider closing for the day.
- Businesses should be aware that their employees may not be able to get to work that day.
- Expect issues with cell phones. Most cell carriers have the ability to handle a 10% to 25% increase in cell data usage, but callers may need to set phones to wifi.
Local businesses that stay open are asked to ensure adequate supplies on site, have proper staffing, and have site security. Businesses should be prepared for their parking lots to be filled by visitors wanting to view the eclipse.
The city’s water, sewer and electricity systems are expected to handle the demands of the day, Gamby said. And efforts will be made to keep emergency routes open in the city for police and fire personnel.
“We want our ambulances and fire trucks to get to you,” and not be stuck in traffic jams, Gamby said.
Local officials also ask that people follow safety tips when viewing the eclipse. “If you damage your eyes with this, it’s forever,” Klein said.
• Only look at the eclipse through a special-purpose solar filter. Safe eclipse glasses should comply with ISO 12312-2 international standard. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are unsafe. They transmit too much sunlight and could damage the eyes.
• Always supervise children using solar filters.
• Stand still, cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking at the sun. Afterward, turn away before removing your filter — never remove it while looking at the sun. The only safe time to look at the sun without solar filters is during the 2-4 minutes of total eclipse.
• Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical device.
• Do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eyes, causing serious injury.
• Seek expert advice before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device. Note that solar filters must be attached to the front of any telescope, binoculars, camera lens, or other optics.
