Michael Morrison, a part-time Franklin parks employee, uses a leaf blower to blow away mulch from a pathway at Youngs Creek Park on Friday in Franklin.
Noah Crenshaw | Daily Journal
Amid cloudy skies Friday, crews were doing their final preparations for Monday’s total solar eclipse across Johnson County.
In downtown Franklin, parks employees were gearing up for the city’s eclipse festival at Youngs Creek Park, which is set to begin Saturday. Employees were cleaning up parking lots and pathways ahead of the festivities and the celestial event expected to bring thousands to the city and surrounding areas.
Portable toilets and water fountains sat locked ahead of the festival. Rope lines were put up along pathways and pedestrian entrances to the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater to direct traffic.
Elsewhere in the city, no parking signs were put up along streets like Jackson and Monroe to warn drivers of upcoming restrictions. Along the south side of Greenlawn Cemetery, netting was being put up to prevent cars from parking on the grass along South Street.
In White River Township, Johnson County Highway Department crews were preparing to close off Smokey Row Road at its intersection with County Road 144 for traffic safety. In Greenwood, preparations were being made for the city’s pre-eclipse event Sunday at Craig Park. Sunday’s event has had a change of plans though, as the hot air balloon rides have been canceled due to weather concerns.
Similar preparations were being made by communities, businesses, organizations and residents across the county as eclipse weekend arrived. Although the eclipse is Monday, events are planned for the whole weekend as the phenomenon was expected to draw up to 100,000 people to Johnson County.
Much of central and southern Indiana is along the path of totality for the eclipse, including Johnson County. A partial eclipse will take place from 1:50 to 4:23 p.m. Monday, with totality being from approximately 3:05:52 to 3:09:54 p.m. in the Franklin area.
This type of solar eclipse is the only one where people can momentarily remove their eclipse glasses for a brief time when the moon is completely blocking the sun.
The forecast
Despite all the preparations for the eclipse and thousands of spectators, one thing officials do not have control over is Monday’s forecast.
Historically, April 8 has been more cloudy than sunny for the Indianapolis area. But forecasts released Friday morning started to paint a more optimistic picture.
While uncertainty remains, the National Weather Service in Indianapolis said there were signs that the skies may clear by Monday afternoon for the eclipse. There is at least a 30 to 50% chance that total sky coverage by clouds will be 50% or greater, but this did not mean ” all cloud cover will be thick and opaque” across the region, the weather service said in a Facebook post early Friday morning.
Just before noon, the forecast improved even more. Between 1 p.m and 4 p.m. Monday, there is a 14 to 17% chance of cloud coverage in the Indianapolis area.
For Franklin specifically, the forecast is mostly sunny. Sky coverage is estimated to be anywhere from 24% around 1 p.m. to 18% by 4 p.m., weather service data shows.
As for temperatures, the high is expected to be around 72 degrees in Franklin. As for around the time of the eclipse, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., temperatures could be around 66 to 71 degrees, according to the NWS.
Southwest winds of 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph, are also forecast for Monday.
Parking
In Franklin and elsewhere, residents and visitors should prepare for parking restrictions and traffic pattern changes. Jackson Street, from Jefferson Street to Wayne Street, in Franklin will be closed from 6 a.m. Saturday to 12 a.m. Monday night. The street is being closed for the eclipse market.
Franklin officials plan to keep as many roads open as possible in the city to keep traffic flowing, said Kirby Cochran, police chief. Public lots in the city are also expected to fill up quickly, so he encourages people going downtown to carpool or walk.
Province Park will be closed this weekend due to flooding, however, parking at the bottom of the pool hill will be available, according to Franklin Parks and Recreation.
Further south in Edinburgh, Main Cross Street will be closed on Monday from Main Street to Holland Street for the town’s eclipse festivities. Rest Haven Cemetery will also be closed to vehicle traffic, officials say.
As for parking in Edinburgh, spaces will be available downtown at East Main Cross Street, along with Keeley Street, Campbell Street, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, the Edinburgh Aquatic Center and the Edinburgh Parks and Recreation Sports complex, according to the parks department.
Several city-owned parking lots in Greenwood will be charging a $20 fee to park on Monday. These lots are:
- City Center Park: 415 Lincoln St.,
- Craig Park: 10 E. Smith Valley Rd., lots off Smith Valley Road and Washington Street,
- Freedom Park: 850 W. Stop Rd.,
- Greenwood Community Center: 100 Surina Way, lot between Community Center and Police Department,
- Old City Park: Lot located off Surina Way,
- Parking Garage: 520 S. Meridian St.,
- Parking lot located between McKinley Street and Washington Street, north of Main Street,
- Parking lot located between Motors Plus and Bethel Chin Baptist Church on Main Street.
Greenwood will have Craig Park, Freedom Park and Old City Park open for eclipse viewing too, officials said.
Contacting public safety
Emergency services will be deployed throughout the county for the eclipse. However, the number of people expected, combined with the deployment of personnel, could lead to 911 calls having longer response times.
With this in mind, officials encourage residents to not call 911 unless it’s an emergency.
Public safety agencies will do their best to protect people, but if it’s a minor incident where a report can wait, people are asked to be patient. The key is to make sure first responders are available when true emergencies arise, Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess said earlier this week.
Johnson County 911 also offered tips for residents and visitors. They asked the public to not call 911 to ask about traffic or the best route of the area and to only call 911 unless there is a true emergency.
If someone does need services but it’s not an emergency, they contact Johnson County 911’s non-emergency line at 317-346-6336.
The Johnson County Joint Incident Management Team also asks people to ensure that roads, streets, driveways and business entrances are kept clear to allow emergency vehicles easy access to those in need. If necessary, people should use movable barriers for “soft closures,” team officials said.
People should also be prepared for a lot of traffic on Monday, with traffic congestion highly probable. The White River Township Fire Department says motorists should have a preparedness kit ready in case they are stuck in traffic. This kit should include food, jumper cables, eclipse viewing glasses, a phone charger, blanket, water, first aid kit and gas, the department says.
Cars should also be fully fueled up in case people get stuck in gridlock, officials say.
SEE COVERAGE ONLINE
The Daily Journal has the total solar eclipse covered for Johnson County residents and vistiors. To see our past and future coverage, go online to dailyjournal.net/2024/04/04/2024-total-solar-eclipse-heres-what-johnson-county-residents-need-to-know.
More coverage will be seen in the Tuesday and Wednesday print editions, along with on the web.
