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Westfield Girl Delivers Weather Information To Seniors

One Westfield sixth grader delivered information about extreme weather events to local seniors so they could better prepare.

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Pictured left to right are: Westfield Senior Citizens Housing Executive Director Liz Fennik, Madeline Cortes, and Westfield Senior Citizens Housing Activities Director Randi Kass.
Pictured left to right are: Westfield Senior Citizens Housing Executive Director Liz Fennik, Madeline Cortes, and Westfield Senior Citizens Housing Activities Director Randi Kass. (Courtesy of Jessica Golden Cortes)

WESTFIELD, NJ — How can senior citizens get important information on extreme heat and severe weather if they're not always on their computers? Sometimes, one has to use old technology.

Madeline Cortes, a sixth grader at Edison Intermediate School in Westfield, recently delivered flyers, brochures, and other educational materials to Westfield Senior Citizens Housing as part of an environmental outreach to share information about severe weather, extreme heat, wildfires, blizzards, and other natural hazards.

This summer, North Jersey has already dealt with several bouts of dangerous extreme weather, including flash floods. And Atlantic hurricane season lasts through Nov. 30.

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Madeline's materials will help seniors better understand and prepare for such events.

The educational outreach was part of a sixth grade research project on Natural Hazard Awareness in science teacher Allison Friedman’s classes.

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The outreach was shared with elementary school teachers for their units on weather.

Thanks to a sixth grade project in the Westfield schools, local seniors can better understand and prepare for extreme weather events, from hurricanes to blizzards. Pictured: A flash flood just before Tropical Storm Elsa arrived in North Jersey on July 8, 2021.

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