Rebecca Schuld, a meteorologist with CBS 58, a group of school children, and Andrew Beckett, assistant public information officer with Wisconsin Emergency Management, discuss how to prepare your pets for a weather emergency with Hank the Brewers Ballpark Pup during Weather Day April 18 at Miller Park. Thousands of Milwaukee-area students were able to learn what causes certain weather events, and encountered many educational booths at the ballpark. Wisconsin Emergency Management operated one such booth about weather preparedness, providing information on emergency planning for families and pets in case of a weather emergency. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Sgt. Katie Eggers

MILWAUKEE — More than 10,000 Milwaukee-area elementary students gathered at Miller Park Wednesday (April 18) for the 10th annual Weather Day to learn how to prepare for weather-related emergencies, thanks to Wisconsin Emergency Management, the Wisconsin National Guard and FEMA’s Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) program.

Thousands of Milwaukee-area students visited Miller Park to experience Weather Day April 18. Students were able to learn what causes certain weather events, and encountered many educational booths at the ballpark. Wisconsin Emergency Management operated one such booth about weather preparedness, providing information on emergency planning for families and pets in case of a weather emergency. Andrew Beckett, assistant public information officer with Wisconsin Emergency Management, delivered a presentation on pet preparedness from the baseball diamond during the event. Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs photo by Vaughn R. Larson

“We really want people everywhere to think about the important talks to have with their family about emergency preparedness and emergency planning,” said Andrew Beckett, Wisconsin Emergency Management assistant public information officer, during a Facebook Live segment from Weather Day at Miller Park. “[That way,] when a disaster does strike, you know what to do, your family knows what to do and you know where to go.”

Thousands of Milwaukee-area students visited Miller Park to experience Weather Day April 18. Students were able to learn what causes certain weather events, and encountered many educational booths at the ballpark. Wisconsin Emergency Management operated one such booth about weather preparedness, providing information on emergency planning for families and pets in case of a weather emergency. Andrew Beckett, assistant public information officer with Wisconsin Emergency Management, delivered a presentation on pet preparedness from the baseball diamond during the event. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Sgt. Katie Eggers

Beckett teamed up with Rebecca Schuld, a CBS-58 meteorologist, at home plate to show what emergency items families should pack for their pets.

“What we’re stressing today is what’s good for your pet is also good for your family,” Beckett said during the Facebook Live segment. “You want to think about those ideas, about what you’re doing for your pet, and also think about what you want to do for your family. A lot of that is having a disaster kit at home.”

Thousands of Milwaukee-area students visited Miller Park to experience Weather Day April 18. Students were able to learn what causes certain weather events, and encountered many educational booths at the ballpark. Wisconsin Emergency Management operated one such booth about weather preparedness, providing information on emergency planning for families and pets in case of a weather emergency. Andrew Beckett, assistant public information officer with Wisconsin Emergency Management, delivered a presentation on pet preparedness from the baseball diamond during the event. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Sgt. Katie Eggers

The students attending Weather Day appear to have gotten the message.

“I’ve learned how far the longest tornado has gone and how to be prepared for a tornado,” said Anton Mikolainis, 11, of Underwood Elementary in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. “You can make kits for water — a gallon of water a day — and flashlights.”

WEM recommends a three-day supply of water for emergency kits, at a gallon per person per day.

Members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worked alongside Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) to educate thousands of Milwaukee-area students about Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) during Weather Day April 18 at Miller Park. STEP is a FEMA program, administered by WEM in Wisconsin, designed to encourage youth to take an active interest in preparing for emergencies. Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs photo by Vaughn R. Larson

“I’ve learned a lot about weather that I didn’t know, and how tornadoes form,” said Maddie Langkau, 7, of Ben Franklin Elementary in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. “I learned how to prepare for my family, and if I have a pet around I need to prepare for them. I think it’s really important because if you’re not prepared, people can die or they can get really injured.”

Wisconsin National Guard members were on hand at the 10th annual Weather Day at Miller Park April 18 to hand out pencils and Wisconsin Emergency Management bracelets to thousands of Milwaukee-area students. Students were able to learn what causes certain weather events, and encountered many educational booths at the ballpark. Wisconsin Emergency Management operated one such booth about weather preparedness, providing information on emergency planning for families and pets in case of a weather emergency. Andrew Beckett, assistant public information officer with Wisconsin Emergency Management, delivered a presentation on pet preparedness from the baseball diamond during the event. Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs photo by Vaughn R. Larson

“We’re trying to find out more about if a disaster hits, how do we better prepare,” said Aaron Bauer, a teacher at Garden Homes Lutheran School in Milwaukee. “Weather Day really does a great job of heightening the awareness of the weather we get here in Wisconsin.

Besides WEM and FEMA, Weather Day’s interactive science fair included Discovery World, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee Public Museum, National Weather Service, AcuRite and WE Energies.