Annual Nebraska Severe Weather Awareness Poster Contest accepting entries

The springtime severe weather season is quickly approaching and that means it’s time for the annual Nebraska Severe Weather Awareness Poster Contest. The contest, sponsored by Nebraska Association of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, is part of the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week effort produced by emergency management directors and coordinators across Nebraska.

The poster contest is open to all fourth-grade students in Nebraska public and private schools as well as home-schooled fourth-grade students. Teachers are encouraged to have students participate while teaching them about hazards of severe weather in Nebraska.

While not specifically designed to promote tornado awareness, tornadoes are the most common theme chosen for posters. Lightning and flooding, which are also products of severe thunderstorms, are also good topic choices.

The first-place winner in the state contest wins a $125 gift card, the second-place winner receives a $100 gift card and the third-place winner receives a $75 gift card, all sponsored by the Nebraska Association of Emergency Management. The fourth-place poster winner will receive a $50 gift card sponsored by the National Weather Service. All four winners will also receive a NOAA All-Hazards Weather Alert Radio from Saline County Emergency Management.

Contest rules are as follows:

•Poster artists must be a fourth-grade pupil in any Nebraska private, public or home school.

•Entries must be related to the theme of severe weather safety and will be judged on originality, effort and accuracy. All entries must be on an 11-inch by 17-inch sheet of white paper, providing a 1-inch white border to allow for mounting the winning posters. Any medium may be used (crayon, paint, markers, etc.). Only one entry is allowed per pupil and no joint entries (posters by more than one person) will be accepted.

•Each school is encouraged to conduct the contest. All entries must be received by the local emergency management director/coordinator or postmarked on or before Feb. 27.

•Each entry must include student name, age, complete home address, home telephone number, name, location and phone number of school on the back side of the entry.

•Teachers are encouraged to contact the local emergency management director to assist in the selection of the “top three” entries from their school.

•First-, second-, third- and fourth-place winners will be chosen. All winners will be notified by telephone or mail. The four winners and their parents will be invited to the State Capitol on March 18 for the presentation of their awards from NAEM and NWS representatives and to be recognized by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts.

•Any questions regarding the contest should be directed to the local emergency management director/coordinator or to contest chairman Laura Hintz at (402) 288-5613 or via email at [email protected]

Contest rules and other information can also be obtained at the Nebraska Association of Emergency Management website at http://www.naem.us. Poster Judging will be March 4 by representatives of the Nebraska Association of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.