Northview Student Wins Region In Statewide Severe Weather Essay Contest

March 18, 2008

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Austin Lowery, a Northview High School sophomore, was a regional winner in a statewide “Hazardous Weather Awareness Week” essay contest.

Just Read, Florida!, in partnership with the Florida Department of Community Affairs, Division of Emergency Management and several other emergency management partners, conducted a statewide short essay contest aimed at high school students as part of the 2008 Hazardous Weather Awareness Week.

As Region 1 winner, Lowery received $250, a weather radio and a certificate of achievement. His teacher, Raja Atallah, was awarded $100 and a weather radio for assisting and supporting Lowery in the essay contest.

The entire text of Lowery’s essay is below. Pictured above: Northview teacher Raja Attallah, Austin Lowery and Northview Principal Gayle Weaver. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

The Storm, by Austin Lowery

“Go, Go, Go! Get in the basement the tornado is becoming outrageous.” Yes, these are the last words I heard myself say before our house was completely demolished by the furious swirling winds of the F-5 tornado. After a few minutes of realization, my brother and I began to decipher different ways to find shelter, food, and water. And nonetheless we knew we had to help out our community in some way. First, the thought of not having a house put my eight-year-old brother and me, being only sixteen, into shock. Daisy, our yellow lab, had also been with us through the whole frightening storm. To protect Daisy we kept her on a leash at all times knowing that the identification chip imbedded in her skin was useless until help arrived. Realizing the power outages and tower damage to the surrounding area, we began our hunt for food and fresh water for all of us.

The memories of the images from television reporting the slow response and crime in New Orleans following hurricane Katrina kept flashing through my head. We were able to locate a source of fresh water and food at the FEMA relief center. Next, we focused on securing a line of defense for protecting what remained. We set a perimeter line consisting of 100 pound fishing line 4 inches and 36 inches off the ground a 100 feet all around us. This was then connected to another string with a variety of tin cans and scrap metal, so when the line was tripped it would make an awful racket hopefully wakening my brother and me and scaring off the looters. Thankfully it was successful. On the second night something did trigger it. We’ll never know what it was because it ran off and never came back.

Third, after finding shelter, food, water, and setting up a line of defense, we set out to help our neighbors and friends in the community. Since all the roads were blocked we both decided walking would be the safest and best thing to do. At the end of a long day we found many families on the trail of recovery. But there was one young couple with an infant child who had been sleeping on pieces of wood. We took them back to our camp, or what was now home, and offered to share our food, shelter, and water. Through all this we became sort of a family. The emotional and physical process of cleaning up began.

In the aftermath of a disastrous storm these are the first three things I would do if my younger brother and I, along with Daisy, were home alone and an F-5 tornado hit: first, find shelter, food, and water; second, set up a line of defense in case of looters; and last but not least, assist people in my community.

To read the essays from the other regional winners and the grand prize winning essay, click here.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Education, FEATURE TOP STORY