City of Austin

The City of Austin is kicking off its annual Flood Safety Poster Contest. Kids, ages 6 to 13, can enter their posters, illustrating the theme, “Turn Around – Don’t Drown,” and have a chance to win several great prizes:

• Gift card, $100 to $25 for first, second, third and fouth place winners.
• Ride on Lady Bird Lake in a swift water rescue boat with an emergency responder.
• Poster printed in a safety calendar(s) and in a Flood Safety insert in the Austin-American Statesman.

This contest is an important way to educate students about the risk of flooding that we all face in Central Texas. It’s hard to remember in the middle of one of the worst droughts in Texas’ history, but flooding is Austin’s top weather-related emergency and the number-one cause of weather-related fatalities.

Guidelines

• 8 ½ by 11 paper, in landscape orientation.
• Shows the dangers of driving through flood waters.
• Either  “Save Yourself! Turn Around – Don’t Drown” or “¡Sálvese! Es mejor regresarse - que ahogarse.” should be the headline
• Due Feb. 24th 2012 (in our hands, not post-marked).

Information to Include on Back of Poster

• Child’s name, grade and age
• Parent’s or guardian’s  name, phone number, email and address
• School and teacher’s name,  phone number and email (optional)

Submitting Artwork

• Mail to City of Austin, WPD, Attn: Joan Esquivel, P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767
• Drop off at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, 12th Floor, Austin, TX 78704
• Email computer-generated artwork to            floodawareness@austintexas.gov
• Must be received by Feb. 24, 2012

Note: Artwork will become the property of the City of Austin and will not be returned.

Age Categories 6 to 8 year olds, 9 to 11 year olds and 12 to 13 year olds.

Download the Poster Guidelines

The contest is sponsored by the City of Austin, the Texas Floodplain Management Association, the National Weather Service, the LCRA and the U.S. Geological Survey.