Eclipse live updates: Eclipse begins to darken skies in Stark County
It's all eyes up this afternoon when total darkness descends on portions of Stark County.
Grab your eclipse glasses and prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event.
Return to this story for updates from across Stark County and the region throughout the day.
Here's the latest:
Eclipse begins to darken skies in Stark County
As the moon began partially covering the sun, two friends since college reunited at Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa in Canton to watch it.
Wearing eclipse-themed shirts, Joan Smith of St. Paul, Minnesota and Tama Ann of Columbus enjoyed drinks and eclipse-themed snacks with about 100 other people at the viewing party.
Smith saw the solar eclipse in Iowa in 2017.
“You can feel the energy when it happens,” Smith said. “All that goes along with it. You feel the temperature go down, the birds get quiet as it happens. Everything gets quiet as it happens, and when it gets in totality, it gets dark. You just know something spectacular is happening.”
McKinley Monument in Canton draws visitors of all ages
About 100 people of all ages, scattered about the lawn, steps and railing at Canton’s McKinley Monument by 2:45 p.m. — a half hour before totality. Perched on the highest point is 84–year-old Annie Collins. She moved to Canton from Canal Fulton seven years ago, and walks the steps every day, weather permitting.
“Canton is full of so many hidden treasures,” she said.
Parking lots and parks draw North Canton eclipse viewers
In North Canton, eclipse viewers are congregating in parking lots and parks, Police Chief Frank Kemp Jr. said.
He said the department has officers around the community, but is focusing efforts at supermarket parking lots, school playgrounds and Dogwood Park on Seventh Street NE.
Kemp said there is not a lot of traffic in the city yet, but the department has some extra staff on hand if needed.
"We're holding over our day shift staff for a couple of hours this afternoon and we're going to make a judgment call after the eclipse is over and see how long we need to retain additional manpower," he said.
Kemp said drivers should get off the roads during the eclipse.
"I'd advise people to pull off into a parking lot," he said. "Don't try to take advantage of the stop sign or the red light to spend time watching it because that's going to create a distraction."
Partial eclipse begins in New Philadelphia
In New Philadelphia, a portion of the sun is now obscured by the moon.
More than 30 people, including children and adults, have gathered so far at Trumpet in the Land, including a family who drove from Cuyahoga Falls.
Kevin Pettie of New Philadelphia considered going to Wapakoneta to photograph the eclipse, but changed his mind when he heard they were expected 30,000 visitors. So he decided to stay home for the historic event.
Thousands of eclipse views arrive in Hartville
More than 4,000 solar eclipse viewers have arrived at the Hartville MarketPlace & Flea Market. The viewers have come from near and far – everywhere from Lake Township to Pennsylvania and New York and even as far away as Essex, England.
By 1 p.m., kids were getting the sun and the moon painted on their faces and the DJ was playing music to match the mood – everything from “Good Day Sunshine” to “Walking on the Moon.”
Wearing their solar eclipse-themed shirts, a family of four from Plain Township arrived early, setting up chairs and blankets.
Richard Doll, 71, who works part-time at Hartville Hardware, and his wife, Elaine, 68, were born and raised in Hartville. Elaine is a part-time merchandiser for Hallmark.
Their son, Nicholas, 33, works at the Hartville MarketPlace while his sister, Stephanie, 37, works for Amazon. Expecting lots of post-eclipse viewing traffic, they booked a nearby hotel room.
“We’re excited about the viewing and happy to just sit back, enjoy the warm weather and this lifetime experience,” Elaine Doll said.
Eclipse watchers begin to arrive in Canal Fulton
The Towpath to Totality eclipse watch party began at 10 a.m. in Canal Fulton. Hosted by Stark Parks and the City of Canal Fulton, the event was slated to be held in St. Helena Heritage Park but recent flooding at the park moved it to Canal Street.
By noon, several families had staked their viewing spots.
As they waited for the moon to move across the sun, kids played on the playground, and tossed around balls while others enjoyed a bite to eat while listening to customized eclipse playlists including Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”Catherine Stanton, 37, of Massillon, sat around a portable table in St. Helena Heritage Park with family members playing the Apples to Apples board game and eating snacks.Like most Stark County school employees, the Canton City Schools instruction coach had the day off and decided to witness the total eclipse.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said noting the next total eclipse in Ohio won’t be until 2099. “We didn’t have to travel far (to see it).”
Fifteen-year-old Layla Patterson joined Stanton. The Canton South High School freshman saw the partial eclipse in 2017 but today’s eclipse seems “weird and supernatural.”
Nicole Bowman, 38, took a vacation day from her job at Knight Material Technologies in North Canton to join in the fun.
While she likely could see the total eclipse from her Massillon home, she said traveling to Canal Fulton made it more fun.
“They had activities, and it was a fun little adventure,” she added.
Christina Holmes and her boyfriend Guy Greenfield traveled nearly five hours from Martinsburg, West Virginia. The pair stayed in Bolivar overnight before driving to Canal Fulton on Monday.
“I never saw a total eclipse,” said Holmes, 39. “I googled events and the towpath was the first thing I saw.”They wanted to avoid larger events in hopes of avoiding the expected traffic so they could head home when the eclipse ends.
Sara Wilson, police chief at Canal Fulton Police Department, said she has yet to see a significant influx of visitors to the city, but the department will be monitoring any changes throughout the day.
"We're constantly going to be reassessing this," she said. "I do have a few extra officers working right now, and we have other officers coming in later on in the afternoon as well."
A small portion of Canal Street N, between Cherry Street W and Market Street E, is closed for the event. Wilson said officers will be on hand to direct traffic if needed later in the day.
"Things seem to be going OK right now," she said.
What's the weather for today's eclipse?
Today's weather forecast shows a chance of rain this afternoon, with partly sunny skies during the eclipse's peak at 3:15 p.m.
Here's the hourly forecast for today in Canton, according to AccuWeather:
11 a.m.: 54 degrees and cloudy.
Noon: 57 degrees and showers.
1 p.m.: 61 degrees and cloudy.
2 p.m.: 68 degrees and partly sunny.
3 p.m.: 64 degrees and partly sunny.
4 p.m.: 65 degrees and partly sunny.
5 p.m.: 68 degrees and partly sunny.
6 p.m.: 66 degrees and partly sunny.
7 p.m.: 65 degrees and partly sunny
8 p.m.: 62 degrees and mostly clear.
9 p.m.: 59 degrees and mostly clear.
10 p.m.: 57 degrees and clear.
11 p.m.: 55 degrees and clear.
What parts of Stark County are in the line of totality?
Parts of northwest Stark County are within the line of totality.
Canal Fulton, North Canton and northern parts of Massillon will be in the path of totality.
The rest of the county, including Canton, will see a partial solar eclipse.
Check your location on our eclipse map: 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
When is the eclipse?
The eclipse will enter the United States in Texas and make its way northeast toward Ohio this afternoon.
In the Canton area, the moon will slowly begin to eclipse the sun at 1:59 p.m. and totality, or the eclipse's peak outside the line of totality, will happen around 3:15.
In Canal Fulton, totality will begin at 3:14 p.m. and last just over two minutes.
In North Canton, totality will begin at 3:15 p.m. and last just under one minute.
Stark County officials: Be prepared for traffic
The Stark County Emergency Management Agency has been gearing up for months for what is predicted to attract tens of thousands of visitors to the state.
Thousands of visitors means heavy traffic in and around Stark County.
EMA Director Tim Warstler said drivers should take extra caution or stay off the roads if possible.
"Plan for traffic, [take] alternate routes or work from home," he said.
If you are travelling, make sure you have a plan and pack the essentials, said Suzie Dills, planetarium director at McKinley Museum.
"Make sure you have snacks, make sure you have water, make sure you dress for the weather because there's a possibility that you might be sitting in traffic for a while," she said.
How can I safely watch the solar eclipse?
While watching the partial stages of the solar eclipse, make sure you are using the proper solar viewers.
It is safe to view the sun through ISO 12312-2 certified solar filters, ensure your eclipse glasses or handheld viewers are labeled with the code.
If you do not have eclipse glasses, you can watch the partial eclipse indirectly as a projection.
Poke a pinhole through a piece of cardboard. With the sun at your back, project the sun's light through the pinhole onto a sheet of white paper.
This effect can also be replicated by using the holes in a colander or slotted spoon to project the sun onto the ground or a wall.
During totality, where the moon completely covers the surface of the sun, it is safe to look without a solar filter.
More: Watching the total solar eclipse? Here's how to do it safely
Can I take a photo of the solar eclipse?
Just like viewing with your eyes, if you plan to take pictures of the solar eclipse during the partial phases, you will need a solar filter attached to the sun side of the lens.
A solar filter for a camera is essentially the same as what is used for eclipse glasses. Ensure the filter covers the entire lens of the camera to avoid any damage.
Never look through a camera at the sun without a solar filter on the lens. The camera can magnify the sun's rays into your eyes and cause irreversible damage, even if you are wearing eclipse glasses.
What if it's cloudy?
Experts say clouds during the eclipse would be disappointing, but there will still be things to experience no matter the weather.
"Even if it is cloudy, there's still going to be lots of really cool things going on that we'll be able to observe," said Parker Lynch, planetarium manager at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton. "It will still get dark and sort of a reddish color outside, we'll still notice the temperature drop as more light and heat from the sun gets blocked."
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County total solar eclipse live updates
