Public is invited to the grand kickoff event at Downtown Disney this Saturday!
TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist has proclaimed January 24-30, 2010 as Severe Weather Awareness Week, in Florida. This year the annual public awareness campaign included a poster and video PSA contest sponsored by five Florida area Radio Disney stations in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach.
Multiple events are planned statewide as state, county and local emergency officials seek to educate Floridians on daily topics such as lightning, tornadoes, floods and rip currents. The annual kickoff media event and award ceremonies will be held at the Downtown Disney Marketplace in Lake Buena Visa beginning on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 2 p.m. The fun, family event is free and open to the public.
“Florida is a great place to visit and call home,” said David Halstead, interim director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “With this beautiful place comes a personal responsibility for all Floridians to understand and be prepared to survive the weather hazards that affect our state.”
Over 400 elementary and high school students statewide participated in the annual poster and video PSA contests. The winners will be announced Saturday and the winning entries will be displayed in the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee during the first two weeks in February.
Annual Tornado Drill Wednesday, January 27
In addition to the poster and video contests, on Wednesday, January 27, the statewide Tornado Drill will be conducted by the National Weather Service Offices in Florida at 10:10 a.m. Eastern Time (9:10 a.m. Central Time). This year the drill will include actual over-the-air test messages on the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and NOAA Alert Radios. In the event of an actual severe weather threat, the test would be moved to the same time on Friday, January 29.
On Saturday, January 30, The National Weather Service Office in Tallahassee will host the second annual Weatherfest at Florida State University beginning at 10 a.m. There will be interactive displays and games, tours of the National Weather Service and FSU Meteorology offices, the State Emergency Response Team Mobile Command Vehicle, a mobile radar truck and other local emergency response vehicles.
Additional Severe Weather Awareness Week sponsors include the American Red Cross, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, the Florida Association of Broadcasters, the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association, i.d.e.a.s. and Midland Radio Corporation.
For more information on the 2010 Severe Weather Awareness Week go to http://www.floridadisaster.org/. More information on WeatherFest can be found at www.srh.noaa.gov/tae/?n=weatherfest2010
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