{"id":14458,"date":"2015-08-03T12:30:37","date_gmt":"2015-08-03T12:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.highpoint.edu\/safety\/?page_id=14458"},"modified":"2026-03-16T15:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T19:26:09","slug":"tornado-preparedness","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.highpoint.edu\/safety\/tornado-preparedness\/","title":{"rendered":"Tornado Preparedness"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you were to see a tornado approaching, you would have limited time to make important life-or-death decisions. Knowing the basics of tornado safety, planning ahead, and participating in tornado safety drills lowers the chance of injury or death if a tornado were to strike our community.<\/p>\n

Tornadoes are nature\u2019s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can devastate an entire neighborhood in seconds.\u00a0North Carolina averages 16\u00a0tornadoes each year with peak activity in May; however, there is no true \u201ctornado season\u201d in NC.\u00a0Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 PM and 9 PM but can occur at any time. Because conditions can deteriorate so rapidly, being aware of the adverse weather will greatly improve your safety.<\/p>\n

Know the terms:
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A TORNADO WATCH<\/strong> means conditions are right for the development of a tornado or severe weather. During a watch, members of HPU should be alert to possible changes in weather conditions.<\/p>\n

A TORNADO WARNING<\/strong> means that a tornado or severe weather is occurring or has been sighted or indicated by National Weather Service radar.<\/p>\n

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DANGER SIGNS<\/h5>\n

Seek immediate shelter if any of the following are encountered:<\/p>\n