ELYRIA, OHIO (WJW) — On April 8, day will turn into night for a once-in-a-lifetime eclipse . Although it’s still more than a month away, a word of caution is being issued now by Lorain County Emergency Management: stock up on three days worth of food, fuel and water.
“What we could have is crowds here that we’re not used to,” said Dave Freeman, Lorain County EMA Director. “We’re not set up infrastructure-wise for that, we don’t have the roads.”
Freeman said the county is a special destination for the eclipse. He said so far, more than 500,000 people are expected to visit Ohio to view the eclipse. In Lorain County, the population could swell up to three times its usual size.
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“Along the path of totality, that’s where you’re going to have the longest eclipse, where you’ll see the entire thing from start to finish,” said Freeman. “We’re looking at right around four minutes or so for the totality.”
Lorain County EMA is bracing for potential challenges, and advising people to be prepared for possible traffic issues.