NWS Key West Office Selected as Grand Marshall for
2006 Fantasy Fest Parade
Pharaoh (Senior Forecaster Alan Albanese) rides Grand Marshal float as NWS Supergirl (HMT Helen McCall) marches alongside (Photo: Dennis Feltgen, NWS)
(Oct. 27, 2006) - While the citizens of Key West, Fla. may wish to forget about Wilma and the 2005 Hurricane Season, they do remember all of the timely advisories and warnings issued by the local Weather Forecast Office (WFO) during those difficult days. By way of demonstrating appreciation for the outstanding efforts of the National Weather Service employees there, WFO Key West staffers were asked to serve as Grand Marshals of the 2006 Fantasy Fest® parade.
Last year, the entire event was postponed because of Hurricane Wilma, which submerged more than half the land mass of the Keys. The WFO works closely with the Keys Tourist Development Council to safeguard the lives of residents and tourists during hurricane season. This collaboration is part of the reason the Keys has one the most efficient, well organized tourist evacuation plans in the country. The office also plays a major role in helping to report accurate post-hurricane damage assessments.
WFO Key West Meteorologist-in-Charge Matt Strahan says it is a symbiotic relationship that saves lives during hurricanes - and saves jobs after hurricanes. "Apparently, it works very well because they appreciate our services enough to ask us to be the Grand Marshals of their biggest event. I can't think of a better compliment this community could give a group of public servants than to ask them to lead their biggest parade," he added.
Originating in 1978, the annual Fantasy Fest parade and celebration has grown quickly in size and importance over the years. The festivities currently attract visitors and media from across the nation and around the world. This year, an estimated 70,000 revelers were aligned along the streets of Key West to cheer the Dis-Oriented ExpressTM parade participants. In addition to the National Weather Service's Grand Marshal Float, approximately 70 parade entries made their way along a 23 block route.
The big parade was one of a range of festival events spread out over a 10 day period. This year's Fantasy Fest ran from October 20 through the 29th.
Senior Forecaster Alan Albanese (Pharaoh) and WFO Key West MIC Matt Strahan wave to crowds from Grand Marshal float (Photo: Dennis Feltgen, NWS)
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