LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The much anticipated solar eclipse is under a year away and our own Nathan Kitchens checks out why Lima will be a hot spot for tourists.
The year 1806 was the last time a total solar eclipse passed through Ohio. While solar eclipses aren't a rare phenomenon, they only cover a tiny portion of Earth at a time. This means that any one location on Earth will see it once every 400 years or so. This is why everyone should be excited about April 8, 2024. Lima will be one of the top places in the whole country to experience it.
"The website astronomy.com named Lima one of the two best places in the state of Ohio to view the eclipse, the other being Cleveland. But we were ranked #13 and Cleveland #14. Out of the whole United States, that says a lot! We expect a lot of people to be flocking to our area," stated Christine Pleva, executive director of Visit Greater Lima.
Given the rarity of this event, it's hard to pinpoint how many tourists will be coming to Lima.
"One of the biggest events that we have that could be somewhat relevant in terms of size is the event we have every Labor Day at the Allen County Fairgrounds which is Max's Trader Days. We usually over the period of three days get around 30,000+ people. I don't know what we're expecting in Lima, it could be more than that. I think it very possibly would be," added Pleva.
A crucial factor is that we have good weather, a day like today with blue skies and sunshine. While we can't predict the weather that far in advance, we can look back at history which tells us we have cloud coverage about 50% to just under 60% of the time on that date.
Visit Greater Lima says viewing areas around Lima are still in the planning stages with several local organizations participating. For those out-of-towners, the best advice is to book a place to stay as soon as possible. Local hotels are already receiving bookings. With the event on a Monday, this will have a higher economic impact on Allen County. Many will choose to spend an extended weekend, instead of just coming in for the day.
