FLORIDA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT KICKS OFF SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK AT DOWNTOWN DISNEY

(Contest Winners Left to Right: Joey Engelman, Christopher Taylor, Alfonso Duran, Professor Nimbus Tinkermeister, Sean Reagan, Paul Capone, Garret Johnson, Miranda Shellenbarger)

Lake Buena Vista – Sunny weather greeted residents and visitors at the kickoff for Severe Weather Awareness Week at Downtown Disney on Saturday, January 29, 2011. The Florida Division of Emergency Management partnered with Radio Disney to host a two-hour street party highlighting Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week, which runs from January 31 – February 4, 2011. The week is intended to educate Florida’s residents and visitors on the weather hazards that affect the Sunshine State, and how to be prepared for them. State Meteorologist Amy Godsey joined KidsGetAPlan.com character Professor Nimbus Tinkermeister on stage, to perform weather experiments, games, and trivia designed to teach the audience about weather and preparedness.



The winners of the statewide Poster and Public Service Announcement (PSA) video contests were also in attendance and received awards on stage.


Poster and Public Service Announcement Contests
The Division invited students across the state to participate in a contest to produce preparedness messages that will become part of the Division’s 2011 public awareness campaign.



Miranda Shellenbarger, a 5th grader at Eastside High School in Brooksville, was the poster winner for her entry.












Garret Johnson and Sean Reagan of Diplomat Middle School in Cape Coral were the middle school winners of the PSA video contest, entering a project entitled “Generate Some Smarts!”





Paul Capone, Alfonso Duran, Christopher Taylor and Joey Engelman from Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines won the high school PSA video contest, with the winning message of “Prepare Early!” Both middle and high school winners will work with a professional production team to reproduce their PSA’s for broadcast as part of the Division’s 2011 public awareness campaign. To view the winning public service announcements, visit: www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW/2011/2011contestwinners.html.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management’s website, www.FloridaDisaster.org, will post videos dedicated to each hazard, each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week. The videos describe the types of natural hazards that occur in Florida and what residents and visitors can do to protect their families, homes and businesses from damage.

2011 Severe Weather Awareness Week

Monday, January 31 - Lightning
Tuesday, February 1 - Rip Currents and Marine Hazards
Wednesday, February 2 - Tornadoes and Thunderstorms
Thursday, February 3 - Hurricanes and Flooding
Friday, February 4 - Temperature Extremes and Wildfires