2010 Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week Poster and Video Public Service Announcement Contests Announced

TALLAHASSEE-- State emergency management officials today announced that Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week is scheduled for January 24-30, 2010. This year, the annual public awareness campaign includes a poster and video public service announcement (PSA) contest. Contest sponsors and prizes will be announced in the coming weeks.

"The goal of the week is to educate our residents and visitors about the natural hazards they may face and provide important information to help keep them safe," said Interim Director Ruben D. Almaguer of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. "It is a team effort and we are proud to have many great sponsors who are committed to this week of outreach and awareness."

ANNUAL POSTER CONTEST
Fourth and fifth graders in all 67 school districts are invited to participate in the statewide poster contest. All entries must be postmarked on or before THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2009 and must arrive at the Florida Division of Emergency Management in Tallahassee no later than TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2010. Winners will be notified by phone. The top winners' artwork will be displayed in the State Emergency Operations Center during the first full week of February 2010. Prizes will include tickets to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks, among others. More information on prizes will be announced soon. For complete contest rules go to: www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW2010.

NEW VIDEO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUCEMENT (PSA) CONTEST FOR 2010
Middle and high school students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 are invited to produce a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) incorporating a safety or preparedness message about one of the following topics: Tornadoes, Rip Currents or Using NOAA Weather Radios. Final digital videos must be mastered as a DVD for submission to the Division. All entries must be postmarked on or before THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2009 and must arrive at the Florida Division of Emergency Management in Tallahassee no later than TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2010. For complete contest rules, entry forms and topic information go to:
www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW2010.

There will be one individual or group (limit 4 people per group) winner chosen for both middle school and high school-level videos. The winning video(s) will be professionally reproduced for broadcast use by the Division of Emergency Management in their statewide public awareness campaign. A production team will come to the winner(s) hometown and will spend a full day shooting the winning PSA. The winner(s) will spend the day acting as the Director(s) and will be honored at a rally in their hometown. Prizes will include tickets to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks, among others. More information on prizes will be announced soon.
Winners will be announced on January 23, 2010, at a kickoff event for Severe Weather Awareness Week. Winners unable to attend this event will be mailed their prizes.

These contests are part of an annual public awareness campaign that also includes the statewide Tornado Drill to be conducted by the National Weather Service Offices in Florida at 10:10 a.m. Eastern Time (9:10 a.m. Central Time), on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

For more information on Florida’s 2010 Severe Weather Awareness Week go to: www.FloridaDisaster.org/SWAW2010.

Governor Crist Visits Toussaint Louverture Elementary School to Promote Hurricane Preparedness

On September 16th, 2009 Governor Charlie Crist visited Toussaint Louverture Elementary School in Miami to encourage students to be prepared while we are in the historic peak of hurricane season. Governor Crist was joined by Florida Emergency Management Interim Director Ruben Almaguer and Education Commissioner Dr. Eric Smith.

“When we educate young Floridians on how to be prepared during a disaster, they can help safety efforts,” said Governor Crist. “As tropical activity is likely to increase during this peak month of hurricane season, there is no better time to review and update disaster plans. We must remind Floridians that storms do no have to be hurricanes to be deadly or destructive.”

Last month, Governor Crist invited students to visit http://www.kidsgetaplan.com/ to learn how to be prepared like their parents and teachers. The Web site includes free downloads of stories, coloring books and important disaster preparedness tips for kids. During today’s visit, the Governor, Interim Director Almaguer and Commissioner Smith joined students as they participated in an online activity that allowed them to assemble virtual supply kits. The Web site’s kid friendly format educates children on how to stay safe during a thunderstorm, how to prepare their home for severe weather and how to protect themselves from hazards like tornados. Governor Crist noted that fostering a culture of preparedness, through initiatives like interactive online activities, will keep Florida safe for generations to come.

HURRICANE IVAN: FIVE YEARS LATER

Hurricane Ivan was the strongest southern hurricane on record while traversing the Atlantic and Caribbean, reaching Category 5 strength with sustained winds near 160 mph. The storm weakened to a Category 3 before moving onshore, but still devastated Florida’s Panhandle as it felt the brunt of the hurricane. The storm, with its 60-mile-wide eye and 10-15 foot surge, caused $14.2 billion in damage nationwide. The figure makes Ivan the sixth costliest hurricane on record in the U.S.

Looking Back: Hurricane Ivan (video) http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/1023 - Link to embed from

http://floridadisaster.org/hurricanes/2004/ - Link to our 2004 page

DID YOU KNOW?

The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane (middle Florida Keys) is the most intense hurricane to strike the United States with maximum sustained winds estimated at 185 mph and a minimum central pressure of 892 millibars: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html

FRED BECOMES THE SECOND MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE YEAR...NO THREAT TO LAND...

At 11am AST, Hurricane Fred was located about 540 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and moving towards the northwest at 13 mph. A gradual turn to the north-northwest and north with a decrease in forward speed is forecast during the next couple of days. The maximum sustained winds are 120 mph and the estimated minimum pressure is 958 mb. Fred is a Category 3 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

WELCOME

Welcome to the Florida State Emergency Response Team Information page maintained by the External Affairs Office of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. This page will offer day to day information regarding emergency management activities, statewide hazards and other preparedness events throughout the State of Florida and nation. During disasters this blog will be updated with the most current information on the disaster, related hazards, evacuations and other protective actions being recommended by state and local emergency management agencies. Our goal is to provide clear and concise information to the media and general public daily.

In the right hand column of this blog are twitter feeds from our State Watch Office which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year monitoring hazards throughout the State of Florida. Twitter feeds are also available from our State Meteorological Unit and our Office of External Affairs. Please feel free to follow us if you "tweet" regularly as well.

We also welcome any input or suggestions that you may have to improve this blog and the products included in it. Please email suggestions regarding the blog to FLSERTInfo@gmail.com. Thank you for taking the time to follow our blog and we look forward to hearing from you in the near future. As we approach the height of the 2009 Hurricane Season, which is September 10th, please take a minute to watch the following video message from Interim Director Ruben D. Almaguer: