By HOLLY GASKILL
On the heels of the highly anticipated total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, Wells County Sheriff Scott Holliday and Emergency Management Director Rick Velasquez have presented their safety preparations for the natural phenomena.
According to Velasquez, the state is estimating Wells County to see anywhere between 20,000-50,000 tourists driving through or staying in the area. Tourism Coordinator Audry Dudley believed most overnight accommodations were “filling up.”
Because of this potential influx of people — and the large estimate window — Holliday told the Wells County Commissioners that officers would be stationed throughout the county to respond as needed.
“It’s hard to plan — a lot of it is reactive,” Holliday explained. “It’s just going to be an influx of people, whether it be traffic, supplies, communication.”
Ouabache State Park, which has reportedly been booked for several weeks, will also have five officers on-site from the Department of Natural Resources, Holliday said.
Emergency response teams will prioritize keeping communication lines open, as data and phone lines may be overloaded with people in the area. Holliday stated residents can expect delays in some more routine activities, like VIN checks, as law enforcement prioritizes availability for emergencies. He encouraged limiting 911 calls to emergencies only.
In the event of an emergency, Holliday assured there are clear plans and lines of communication for emergency response teams. Velasquez advised that several towing companies are prepared to be on-call for accidents, given the presumed increase in traffic.
Additionally, Velasquez notified the county council and commissioners of a declaration from Gov. Eric Holcomb essentially enlisting the state’s resources for any needed emergency response.
However, given the cloudy forecast, Holliday laughed, “You might see people chasing clearer skies and moving elsewhere.”
The partial eclipse will begin in Wells County around 1:53 p.m. and reach totality at 3:08 p.m., which will last for approximately three minutes. In the event of overcast weather, the eclipse will still cast darkness over the area.
holly@news-banner.com
