National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

On Wednesday, September 20th the National Weather Service in Birmingham and the Management Staff of Quintard Mall in Oxford Alabama hosted the second Severe Weather Prepardeness Day. This event was a continuation of the mall achieving StormReady Supporter status and provided an excellent opportunity to discuss severe weather and preparedness plans for the upcoming Fall Severe Weather Season. Over 50 vendors participated along with local television affiliates from ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS. A highlight of the day was a tornado simulator provided by a local fire department in which visitors experienced a very realistic severe weather episode. In addition, a poster contest was held in which over 250 posters were received from elementary schools across the area. Members of the Birmingham Office participating in the event included: Meteorologist-In-Charge Jim Stefkovich, Science Operations Officer Kevin Pence, Electronics System Analyst John Peruzzo, Lead Forecaster Ken Lorek, Lead Forecaster Mark Linhares, and Meteorological Intern Scott Unger.

The NWS Gang	(from left to right) Lead Forecaster Mark Linhares, SOO Kevin Pence, and ESA John Peruzzo
Student Nurses from Area School	Stringfellow Memorial Hospital Display
Jacksonville State University Display	Staff from WANA 1490
American Red Cross Display	Another American Red Cross shot
WAAX - Z 93.1 Display	WHMA 1390 Display
Oxford EMS Ambulance	Cleburne County's Tornado Simulator
Posters from the Poster Contest	More Posters from the Poster Contest
Salvation Army Display	Calhoun County 911 Display
Alabama's 810 talking with Lead Forecaster Ken Lorek	WVOK - 97.9
NBC 13's Richard Jacks doing a live shot	FOX 6 Storm Tracker
Master of Ceremonies - Lead Forecaster Ken Lorek with the three Poster Contest Winners	Another shot of Master of Ceremonies - Lead Forecaster Ken Lorek with Poster Contest Winners and Winning Classroom Teacher