Tourists, residents alike turn out for eclipse

Hundreds of tourists and residents turned out to various areas around Putnam County for the solar eclipse Monday, and according to officials, all went well. 

Hundreds of out of state license plates from the likes of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Colorado could be found at both Big Walnut Sports Park and the Putnam County Regional Airport, host to two watch party events. A chorus of cheers went up as temperatures cooled, winds picked up and Putnam County experienced totality. 

Ryan Perez, of Wisconsin, was one of those tourists, who loaded up his vehicle with his two sons and drove about five hours south to catch the event at Big Walnut Sports Park. Perez said it was an "adventure" coming down, staying the night in a Walmart parking lot the night before the eclipse, not knowing how bad traffic would be.

"We didn't know how bad the traffic would be and we didn't want to miss it," Perez told The Putnam County Post. 

Perez said he didn't want to miss the opportunity with his sons. 

Greg Raurk, executive director of the Greencastle Parks Department, echoed those sentiments as he saw tourists flock to Big Walnut Sports Park. 

Greencastle mayor Lynda Dunbar said Greencastle and Putnam County could not have asked for better weather. 

"Viewers arrived throughout the morning and afternoon. Traffic was steady on U.S. 231 with most of the visitors from Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Alabama. Now that the eclipse is over, we are seeing a stream of viewers heading back north. Overall, it was a great day in Greencastle and many of the visitors enjoyed their visit. It was amazing to watch," Dunbar told The Putnam County Post. 

Quiet for first responders around Putnam County

First responders in Putnam County said the main issue was traffic once the event was concluded, as downtown Greencastle was busy with motorists, as were portions of the county. 

"We are seeing a lot of out of state drivers trying to get out of the town and county. It was pretty quiet. We knew this morning Crawfordsville was full and people were coming our way. We are seeing it start to build back up heading north out of the county," Sheriff Jerrod Baugh said. 

The Greencastle Police Department assisted with traffic control, while the fire department reported no issues during the eclipse. 

"It was fairly uneventful, which is what I expected it to be. But you never know what to expect with something that only comes to your area once in a lifetime. Regardless, we were prepared and either way, that is what matters the most," GFD Chief Rob Frank told The Putnam County Post. 

Hundreds turn out to Cloverdale for eclipse

Hundreds turned out in Cloverdale, as well, and officials said all was well there. 

Brandon Tancak, Cloverdale Town Council President, said plenty of people from out of state descended into Cloverdale for the historical event. 

"I talked to visitors from Colorado, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and they like the vibe Cloverdale is putting off today. Businesses seem to be doing good with the influx as well," Tancak told The Putnam County Post.