It was a mixed bag on viewing the eclipse in this area on Monday. For some, there was heavy cloud cover and it wasn’t really visible, some got a break in the clouds to catch a bit of a view, while other got a clear view of the first total eclipse in 38 years. Several folks noted on social media that animals reacted as it were night time during the peak of the eclipse on Monday afternoon. And, just about the time the eclipse was ending, most of Fayette County got a strong thunderstorm that brought heavy rains to the area. Then, hours after the eclipse was over, the area got another bit of the “eclipse experience.” Pretty major traffic back ups occurred on U.S. Route 51 with thousands of people heading back north thru Fayette County. There were reports of back ups on I-57 and Route 37 in Effingham County, too.
Meanwhile, after waiting from 1979 to yesterday for a total eclipse, we’ll have to wait for less than 7 years for the next on. The next one will be on April 8th, 2024. It won’t cover the entire U.S. like Monday’s—really only the eastern half of the country. But, it will put part of Fayette County in the totality this time area. According to maps, the southeastern corner of Fayette County—including the St. Peter and Farina areas—will be in the total eclipse area in 2024. And, that would put the rest of the county at virtually 100% for the 2024 eclipse.