County devastated by deadly tornado in eclipse path of totality; Officials share concerns

LAKEVIEW, Logan County — The eclipse is just one week away and people across the Miami Valley are getting ready to view the natural phenomenon.

Logan County is one of the best places to see the total solar eclipse, however, the damage left by the tornado is causing problems.

As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Logan County residents and officials told our crews they aren’t thinking about the eclipse right now.

On March 14, an EF-3 tornado touched down in Logan County, destroying over 100 structures and damaging almost 800 more.

Some residents told News Center 7 that they are worried about the crowds but are still looking forward to the event.

“I’m always excited to see the eclipse,” Lakeview resident Daniel Dennis said.

Dennis has lived in Lakeview for 40 years, and since the tornado, he’s been helping clean up the community.

“You can look at it one of two ways, it can be seen as a new beginning…,” Dennis said.

Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce President Amber Fagan said she expects there to be a lot of visitors.

“We were expecting to double or triple our people,” Fagan said.

The chance that a large amount of people may come to an area where the community is dealing with the aftermath of a deadly tornado is concerning for some.

“I couldn’t call and check on my family. So, it is very scary,” Fagan said.

Fagan said she’s worried about the cell service and for first responders who may need to get out to an emergency.

“I just I worry about people’s safety people need to know cell phone service is a problem and you’re not going to want to pull off the road into a ditch,” Fagan said.

Logan County will use funds from the eclipse to help with tornado recovery, specifically rebuilding.

“We want people that live here to be able to come back here,” Logan County Chamber of Commerce President Ben Vollrath said.

In the meantime, people like Daniels will continue their cleanup efforts.

“No matter what happens this is all replaceable, but we are not,” Dennis said.

People who live throughout Logan County are asking that those visiting for the eclipse be respectful of their situation as they work through recovery efforts.

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