COLUMBUS, Ohio — In two months, the moon will block the sun, making for a very rare spectacle in Ohio's skies. On April 8 the total solar eclipse will stretch from Texas all the way through the heart of Ohio.
Ohio towns and cities in the path of totality are getting ready to get swamped by sun watchers from near and far. Workers at state parks are, too.
"We are not expecting chaos, but we're expecting crowds," said Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Lindsay Deering.
They're expecting crowds on the beaches, in the campgrounds and on the roads of all 29 state parks and wildlife areas in the eclipse's path of totality.
"Pack extra food, pack extra water, extra blankets," Deering said. "If you take a medication, bring that with you just to be safe."
Deering says it's all hands on deck for more than 170 natural resource officers and staffers who have been preparing for a couple of years for anything, even April mud.
"We are prepared with some tow trucks," Deering said. "We've been working with county emergency management agencies to set up emergency response plans and we've got routes already identified for emergency responders."
For visitors, getting back home once the eclipse passes may be trickier than getting to their sun-watching spot.
"People will trickle in throughout the day, the event happens, and then everyone wants to leave at the same time," Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Bruning said.
ODOT will pause all construction projects, just like on a major holiday, and have a full contingent of crews to help handle traffic control in case of any crashes.
"As many options as we can to get people more throughput in these areas where we know we're going to see people, certainly we're going to work to do that," Bruning said.
State campgrounds usually open in May, but ODNR is opening them in early April this year to accommodate the eclipse crowds. Deering says campsites are still available, but all the full hook-up sites with water and electric are booked. You can reserve a campsite here.
Deering just wants everyone to enjoy what might be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
"It's going to be just magical for those of us who are going to be able to experience it," Deering said.
You can find a list of county-by-county events on April 8 here.