Turn Around, Don't Drown Signs Made in Austin Schools

By Larry Eblen, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, WFO Austin/San Antonio, TX

The city of Austin, TX, has always been a leader in the area of public safety and they are particularly concerned about flooding and flash flooding. In spite of a series of dams constructed northwest of the city, they lost more than a dozen citizens in the devastating Shoal Creek Flood of 1981. That has always stayed in their memory.

In 2006, Austin brought together a committee representing a dozen city agencies, lead by their Office of Emergency Management, and including the National Weather Service, to plan a local response to the NWS's Flood Safety Awareness Week. They arranged a presentation before the Austin City Council during that Awareness Week in March and a Flood Safety Awareness Proclamation by the mayor.”

A Flood Safety Poster Contest was featured during a second week of safety promotions in late May. The flood safety posters were accepted in three age groups, ages 6 through 8, ages 9 through 11 and ages 12 through 13. They were submitted on 8 1/2 X 11 inch paper with a variety of media, such as watercolor, pen and ink, crayon, chalk, markers, etc. They were judged on having a clear message and relevance to the theme "Turn Around – Don't Drown" as well as on creativity, originality and artistic quality. There were 90 entries in the younger group, 45 entries in the middle group and 9 entries in the older group.

Each of the winners received a check for $75 from the local newspaper, the Austin American-Statesman. They also got a ride on a Swift Water Rescue Boat, received an official NWS 11-inch rain gage and a were given a private tour of the National Weather Service office in New Braunfels. Finally, the winning posters were displayed in a number of city offices, including the Office of Emergency Management, and featured in the 2007 version of the city's annual Safety Calendar.

In addition, the 25th anniversary of the infamous Shoal Creek Flood was highlighted by the Flood Safety Committee by holding a press conference at the flood site. The program was emceed by the National Weather Service and featured a number of speakers who recounted the events of that flood. Speakers included home owners, shop-keepers, and fire-and-rescue personnel. Their stories were devastating and dramatic and really took the audience back to that terrible flood.