Events

Seneca County Emergency Management to Host Public Meetings on Total Solar Eclipse

Seneca County Emergency Management to Host Public Meetings on Total Solar Eclipse

A stock image of the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017

[Tiffin, OH – March 15, 2023] – Seneca County Emergency Management Agency is inviting county residents to attend public meetings, with identical options on March 22nd at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the North Central Ohio Educational Service Center, to learn about ongoing efforts to prepare for the rare total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

This once-in-a-lifetime event is a unique and spectacular phenomenon that happens on average only once every 1.5 years somewhere on Earth. Seneca County will be in the path of totality, with the centerline of the eclipse passing through the county from the southwest to the northeast passing directly over Bloomville. The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806, and the next total solar eclipse in Ohio will not occur until the year 2099.

Seneca County Emergency Management Director John Spahr will be providing information about the eclipse and some of the challenges it could present to the county. The meetings will also offer an opportunity for attendees to ask questions or volunteer to assist in preparing for the event.

The total solar eclipse is expected to attract visitors from across the country and the world, and county officials are hard at work behind the scenes preparing for the challenges that the eclipse may bring to the community. Some experts believe the number of people in the county that day could triple the community’s current population.

Seneca County officials encourage all county residents who are interested in learning more about the eclipse and how they can prepare for it to attend one of the two meetings.

Those interested in attending can join at either 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. on March 22nd at the North Central Ohio Educational Service Center, located at 928 W. Market St.

“It is critical that local officials and county residents are prepared for this unique event,
Spahr said. “We believe that working together as a community will enable us to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all those who visit Seneca County on April 8, 2024, and for all those who call this community home.”

For more information, please contact John Spahr, Seneca County EMA Director.

Contact:
John Spahr
Seneca County Emergency Management Director
Phone: (419) 447-0266, ext. 6710
Email: jspahr@senecacountyohio.gov