Tornado dangers: How to keep yourself safe

Tornadoes are some of nature's most violent storms. They can be abrupt, destructive and deadly.

Most tornadoes in North Carolina happen during the daylight hours, but they can happen at any time. When tornadoes do spawn at night, they tend to be more deadly because they tend to catch people unaware.

That's why it's very important to stay weather aware at all times and to make sure you have a way to get a tornado warning that can wake you up when you're sleeping.

The average lead time for tornado warnings is about 13 minutes. Rarely a rogue tornado does form somewhat out of the blue, but most tornadoes happen during a severe weather outlook--sometimes issued days in advance.

Tornado plan

Every single family should have a tornado plan in place.

The plan should involve what to do before, during and after a tornado.

Possibly the most important part of the plan is making sure everybody knows the safest place to go in your home in the event of a tornado warning.

Each house is different, but generally speaking, you want to be on the bottom floor and in an inner room away from windows. For extra safety, cover yourself and your family with blankets or even a helmet.

During a tornado warning, you can bring your phone or tablet with you to your safe place and stream live coverage on the ABC11 app--that way you will know when the threat has passed.