COLD FRONT TO BRING SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL FLORIDA BEGINNING TUESDAY NIGHT

State emergency management officials are urging residents from the Florida Panhandle east through Central Florida to be prepared for possible severe weather beginning Tuesday night into Wednesday as a squall line of storms is forecast to develop ahead of a cold front by mid-week. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has placed a large area of North and Central Florida, and the northwestern portion of South Florida at a slight risk for severe weather on Wednesday.

“Residents and visitors in North and Central Florida need to monitor the latest forecasts on this approaching weather system and be prepared to act if additional warnings are issued,” said Acting State Meteorologist Amy Godsey. “A NOAA Weather Radio can be a lifesaver especially during nighttime events.”

This squall line has the potential to produce heavy rain, strong winds and tornadoes late Tuesday night through Wednesday night as the front moves east. Some areas could receive as much as 2 to 4 inches of rain during the frontal passage with higher totals of 6 to 8 inches possible in 24 hours. In addition to the rain, strong southerly winds ahead of the system may also result in coastal flooding along the state’s northern Gulf Coast, where Coastal Flood Watches are now in effect.

“Residents are reminded to respect the power of water and to ‘turn around, don’t drown’ if faced with a flooded roadway,” added Godsey.

Severe weather and tornadoes can occur in any month in Florida. Many of these severe weather outbreaks occur at night during this time of the year. Residents and visitors to the state are urged to monitor this severe weather potential via local media or your local National Weather Service Office, and be sure that the alert settings on your family or business NOAA Weather Radio are turned on.

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.