For 15 years, EXPLORES! has been providing a public portal of information for Florida teachers related to weather hazards, including those associated with hurricanes. This work began with an online bulletin board system with the state Department of Education email system known as FIRN, and beginning in 1995, expanded to the World Wide Web. Our site continues to provide access to much information of value to teachers about hurricane threats and vulnerabilities. Curriculum materials have also been developed that tie in with use of satellite imagery as part of educational advancements in geoscience visualization.

For the past 7 years, Florida has also created a newspaper in association with Hazardous Weather Awareness Week that also focuses on hurricane hazards (among others); unfortunately this material comes out to schools in February, when HWAW occurs. We seek to provide suggestions here for how to provide a more rich experience for teachers in coastal communities that can be applied year-round, and also provides teachers with important information related to new types of forecast products.

Many teachers are involved in hurricane awareness through the use of their schools as emergency shelters, a high degree of weather awareness and participation in earth science projects, and volunteer work with non-profit agencies and local emergency management offices. But they sometimes lack critical information related to real risks associated with weather hazards, including hurricanes. This knowledge has come to light particularly after 8 hurricanes affected Florida in a 16 month period from 2004-2005.

Coastal counties continue to have their populations grow and property values (and insurance rates) soar. And students being tested on practical earth science knowledge for the first time on statewide assessment tests are failing to achieve at a high level, and that is impacting their overall ability to advance. This poor performance also makes a difference in assessments of schools and teachers, but most importantly provides an example of how critical thinking in an emergency situation can dramatically alter preparations and actions, potentially providing lifesaving consequences.