BEDFORD – As soon as the Persimmon Festival is completed in September, Emergency Management Director Valerie Luchauer reported to the commissioners that she and other county officials will be working on plans to handle the increased traffic during the 2024 Solar Eclipse.
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, the path of 100% totality will sweep directly through Indiana from southwest to northeast.
“Monroe County is in the direct path of the longest darkness,” said Luchauer. “That means we will have to be prepared for a major increase in traffic. They are saying to be ready for three times your county’s population and we may see more than that due to the path of the eclipse.”
The estimated population in Lawrence County is 45,222 according to the US Census. Now add three times that amount here to view the eclipse and you are looking at 135,666.
“During the 2017 eclipse in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, motorists were waiting from 8 to 13 hours in traffic to exit the city,” added Luchauer.
A total solar eclipse hasn’t occurred over the lands of present-day Indiana in more than 800 years. After the 2024 total eclipse, the state will not experience another one until 2044.
