The United States’ first total solar eclipse since 2017 will come to the country on April 8, 2024. According to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA), there will be a 124-mile-wide region of Ohio where people can see a total solar eclipse.

However, according to Highland Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jamie Wheeler and a map from the Ohio EMA, Highland County will not fall within the full tonality of the total solar eclipse.

“We do expect an increase in traffic and spending as people travel through Highland County to get to their destination to experience the eclipse in the path of totality,” she said.

Because of that, Wheeler said she hasn’t heard of any organizations or municipalities that are planning any events for the solar eclipse. However, she also said that “the Visitors Bureau is available to promote any events should something be planned.”

According to Ohio EMA, the last time a total solar eclipse passed through Ohio was in 1806 and the next time it will happen in Ohio will be in 2099. The Ohio EMA said that a total solar eclipse has only happened 21 times “in the entire existence of the United States” for the lower 48 states.

The Ohio EMA said the solar eclipse will travel through parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Canada. For those in Ohio, the Ohio EMA said the total solar eclipse will occur at 3:08 p.m. EDT with the final exit of the moon’s shadow from the state” happening at 3:19 p.m. EDT.

The Ohio EMA detailed safety procedures for anyone looking to participate in watching the total solar eclipse.

The most important detail is “it is not safe to look directly at the sun unless you are using eye protection specifically for solar viewing.” It also said that people should not view any part of the sun through a camera lens, binoculars or telescope “without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the secured over the front of the instrument,” because it will can “severe” eye injury.

Among other safety tips, the Ohio EMA said that people should stand still and cover their eyes with their eclipse glasses or solar viewers before looking at the sun. Following their viewing of the scene, people should turn away and then remove the filter instead of removing it while looking at the sun.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.