The National Weather Service says our area has some of the best prospects in the country of having a clear view of Monday’s total solar eclipse.

The agency is forecasting that cloud cover will affect views of Monday’s total solar eclipse for many areas, with clouds most likely from Texas through southern Arkansas along with parts of the Ohio Valley. The regions with the best chances for clear skies are Central Indiana, northern New England, Upstate New York, and southern Missouri.

According to the weather service, Monday has a 10 percent chance of rain before 8 a.m. in the morning. The rest of the day should be mostly sunny with a high of 71.

This will be the first total solar eclipse to be visible in the U.S. since 2017. The next visible total solar eclipse for the contiguous U.S. won’t take place until 2044.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks

Emergency officials say that police, firefighters and equipment will be strategically placed throughout Bartholomew County in anticipation of traffic congestion during Monday’s total solar eclipse.

Estimates are that the community population will be doubled or even tripled during Monday’s eclipse event, tying up local roadways and making travel difficult even for emergency workers.

According to Bartholomew County Sheriff Chris Lane, the department will have extra deputies on shift and they will be deployed in strategic locations to make fast responses if needed.

Lane also said that the department will be making extensive use of its off-road vehicles because they can operate in tighter spots and during traffic jams.

The department is also going to have its fleet of drones ready to deploy to assess the situation and a commercial helicopter is available if needed.

Capt. Mike Wilson with the Columbus Fire Department and Lt. Matt Harris with the Columbus police explained that their units will be standing by at some of the large community events and other anticipated hot spots during the hours around the eclipse.

Authorities said that CRH ambulances will also be deployed strategically.

Columbus Regional Health is offering tips on how to protect your eyes and your health during Monday’s total solar eclipse.

Our area falls under the path of totality for Monday’s celestial event, with the moon completely blocking the sun for several minutes Monday afternoon. But even with the near total darkness, you have to protect your eyes.

Authorities say that you should never look directly at the sun without protection during the event. Regular sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes when looking at the eclipse. Instead, you should use certified shaded glasses to view the eclipse. The glasses should be approved by the American Astronomical Society. they also say that if you normally wear glasses, you should keep them on under your solar viewing glasses.

According to NASA, you can look directly at the eclipsed sun without glasses only during the few minutes of totality. You’ll know it’s safe when you can no longer see any part of the Sun through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer.

Looking directly at the sun, even for a second, can cause damage to your eyes. You should see an eye doctor if you suffer any symptoms such as loss of central vision, have distorted vision or your color vision is affected.

And you need to make sure that children are also following the safety tips during the eclipse.

If you do not have solar glasses already, they are available for free from the Columbus Area Visitors Center.

For more health tips, go to: https://www.crh.org/healthy-tomorrow/story/healthy-tomorrow/2024/03/08/how-to-safely-enjoy-the-total-solar-eclipse

The total solar eclipse is a week away and local officials are urging you to prepare now for the big day.

Columbus police suggest you treat the day as you would a blizzard including stocking up on groceries, picking up medicine and filling your gas tank.

Lt. Matt Harris with the police department explains:

Harris explains that this will be comparable to other large events, but community wide and lasting all weekend.

A swath of Indiana will be in the path of totality, meaning the sun will be completely obscured while the moon passes in front of it. In Bartholomew County, that is going to happen at 3:06 p.m. Monday afternoon. Visitors are expected to flock to our area, temporarily doubling or tripling the size of area communities and clogging local highways and streets.

In anticipation of the chaos, Columbus and Bartholomew County government offices will be closed on April 8th. Schools will also be closed including Bartholomew Consolidated, Flat Rock-Hawcreek, IUPUC, Ivy Tech Columbus, Purdue Polytechnic and the Columbus Learning Center.

You can get more information on local preparations and eclipse events at https://columbus.in.us/eclipse/

Recent interviews about the upcoming eclipse:

News and Views interview with Sheriff Chris Lane and Sgt. Dane Duke from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department. March 30th.

News and Views interview with Erin Hawkins from the Columbus Area Visitors Center with Angelo Anton from the Shelby Community Band. March 30th

AM Columbus interview with Lt. Matt Harris and Sgt. Skyler Berry from the Columbus Police Department. March 26th

AM Columbus interview with Amy Berquist about downtown Columbus events. March 19th

News and Views interview with Shannon Cooke, head of Bartholomew County Emergency Management, Lt. Matt Harris with the Columbus Police Department and Capt. Mike Wilson with the Columbus Fire Department. March 9th.

Part 1

Part 2

AM Columbus interview with Jody Coffman with the city of Columbus. Feb. 15th

AM Columbus interview with Erin Hawkins from the Columbus Area Visitors Center. February 1st

News and Views interview with Erin Hawkins from the Columbus Area Visitors Center. Jan. 26th

Part 1

Part 2

AM Columbus interview with Jody Coffman with the city of Columbus. Jan. 18th

Local tourism officials say that there are still rooms available in Columbus and Seymour for those who want to visit during the April 8th solar eclipse.

Expectations are that the local population could be more than doubled by visitors coming to see the celestial event. The track of totality stretches diagonally through Indiana from Evansville, through our area all the way to Fort Wayne.

Erin Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Columbus Area Visitors Center, said that there are still a few rooms available to rent in Bartholomew County if you want to encourage your family and friends to attend. She said the expectation is that the event turnout will be like a Super Bowl for our area.

Arron Banks with the Jackson County Visitors Center said that there are a handful of rooms still available at the hotels there. Several smaller venues such as bread and breakfasts and campgrounds have already sold out.

The eclipse will start at around 1:30 p.m. and last through about 4:30 p.m. that Monday, with total darkness happening around 3:01 p.m. in the afternoon.

YES Cinema is hosting two FREE special events for the upcoming eclipse titled “Here Comes the Sun Moon: An Eclipse Guide in Totality.”
Columbus’s Maria Schwartzman Webb will share a multi-media presentation spanning eclipse basics to advanced topics. This exciting event will give insights into what to expect and what to pay attention to during the eclipse, how to watch and photograph the eclipse without hurting your eyes or cameras, and why eclipses have captivated humanity for thousands of years, among other topics.
Identical presentations will be held on Friday, April 5th, at 4 p.m. and Saturday, April 6th, at 10:30 a.m., at YES Cinema,  located at 328 Jackson Street. Admission is free and appropriate for most ages and knowledge levels.
Concessions, including specialty eclipse-themed items, beer, and wine will be available for purchase.

For more information, email [email protected] or call 812-378-0377.

The Bartholomew County Historical Society will be hosting an expert on eclipses next week to talk about the upcoming April 8th phenomena.

Steve Haines of the Indiana Astronomical Society will be covering topics such as what is an eclipse, how to observe it and photograph it and what to expect the day of the event. Haines is a 10-year member of the Indiana Astronomical Society and chairman of the group’s eclipse committee.

The talk will be on Tuesday March 19th, starting at 5 p.m. in the afternoon at the historical society museum on Third Street in Columbus. It is free and you are invited to attend.

Indiana State Police are suggesting that you start planning now on how you will get around during the April 8th solar eclipse.

According to state troopers, hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected in Indiana long the path of the total eclipse. The track through Indiana stretches from Evansville, through our area all the way to Fort Wayne. The centerline falls along communities like Bloomington, Seymour, Nashville, Columbus, Franklin and Greensburg.

The eclipse will start at around 1:30 and last through about 4:30 that Monday, with total darkness happening around 3:01 in the afternoon.

State police say that if you are planning to go to a special location to view the eclipse, that you research your viewing site and traffic conditions. You should also consider the expected crowd size and parking availability. On the way there and back you can expect increased traffic and congestion. You should make sure to pack plenty of snacks and water because you could be stranded there until traffic clears. Also, make sure to bring charging cables for your phones or other electronic devices.

Because you could be stuck in traffic for a long time, make sure you have a full tank of gas. You should avoid travel during the actual total darkness of the eclipse, which will last up to just over four minutes depending on your location. If you are on the road during the actual eclipse, exit the roadway to stop and view the event. Do not stop along highways or roads as you could obstruct already tangled traffic.

After the eclipse ends, authorities suggest that you stay put for a while to avoid the post-event rush. As you leave your eclipse viewing spot, you will need to have patience. And make sure to be considerate of other drivers.

To reduce traffic tie-ups, INDOT will be limiting road closures and restrictions where possible.. Oversize and overweight permits will also be temporarily suspended during the event.

You can find links for more information here: https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/INPOLICE-38a1041

Note: This story has been updated

Columbus made the national news today as the community prepares for the upcoming total solar eclipse.

Local tourism officials were interviewed for a segment on the Today show on NBC that aired this morning.

Our area will be in the path of totality for the April 8th event, meaning the sun will be completely blocked out by the moon during the solar phenomena. That is going to happen at 3:06 p.m. that afternoon in our area.

Area communities will have some of the longest periods of total eclipse in Indiana that day, with Franklin at 4 minutes and two seconds, Columbus at 3 minutes and 44 seconds and Greensburg at 3 minutes and 32 seconds.

Because of the rarity of the solar phenomena, visitors are expected to flock to our area, temporarily doubling the size of our communities, according to tourism and safety officials.

Erin Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Columbus Area Visitors Center, posted on social media about the Today appearance saying that she was interviewed for the program Sunday. The segment featured communities preparing for the event and Hawkins talked about the plans for celebrations here.

The visitors center is hosting a website with information about the eclipse and a central location to find eclipse-related events  https://columbus.in.us/eclipse/

You can watch the Columbus segment on the today show here:

Other area community eclipse information pages:

https://www.seymoureclipse.com/

https://www.visitgreensburg.com/solar-eclipse/

https://www.eclipseinshelbycountyin.com/

https://www.eclipsejenningscounty.com/