OCSWA Recognizes Winners at the Annual Awards Ceremony

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA), in cooperation with the National Weather Service, and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA), announced the winners of the annual Severe Weather Awareness Poster Contest on Friday, April 10.

This annual contest is open to all Ohio students in kindergarten through eighth grades and serves as a valuable tool to help students learn about severe weather safety and preparedness. The students engage in this process through their illustrations of Ohio severe weather events (tornadoes, thunderstorms, flooding, etc.)

Names of the 9-poster contest winners

(*) Denotes overall state winner.

Kindergarten

Eliana Wong, Summit County

First Grade

Susie Riddell, Franklin County

Second Grade

Zainab Ahmed, Montgomery County

Third Grade

Aubrey Schooley, Mahoning County

Fourth Grade

Penelope DeWulf, Williams County

Fifth Grade

Olivia Brandon, Warren County

Sixth Grade

Morgan Kerns, Warren County

Seventh Grade

Milani Estrada, Mahoning County

Eighth Grade

Varad Khaparde, Franklin County *

The OCSWA recognized Governor Mike DeWine for providing congratulatory letters for the state winners and the following agencies for encouraging the students' artistic talents and creativity.

• Ohio Emergency Management Agency
• National Weather Service
• Emergency Management Association of Ohio
• Ohio State Fire Marshal
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• Ohio Office of Budget and Management
• Ohio School Safety Center (Ohio Department of Public Safety)
• Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
• Ohio Office of Budget and Management

Learn more about the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness and view the winning posters on the OCSWA website.