April and May tend to be peak tornado months in the Plains, parts of the Upper Midwest and in the Southeast. During the two months, we have seen seven confirmed tornadoes this, six of which happened April 15.
The United States as a whole is having what National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls, "an incredibly quiet tornado season." This comes from an article that they posted Friday.
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As of June 2, there have been 447 reported tornadoes in the country. Keep in mind that not all of these have been or will be confirmed. On average, we see 778 tornado reports by this time of the year.
This, along with more public awareness, has led to far less fatalities this year than normal. More than 85 percent of tornado fatalities occur in EF-3 tornadoes or stronger.
So far this year, there have only been three such tornadoes in the country. On average, there are 37 tornadoes rated EF-3 or higher in the U.S.
One of the three so far happened in our area. This is the tornado that went from the Timberlake area to Elon on April 15. The other two EF-3 tornadoes were in Tescott, Kansas and in Jacksonville, Alabama.
While April and May may be considered peak severe season, keep in mind that dangerous storms can happen at any point in the year. The EF-3 that hit Appomattox in 2016 was in late February.
It's always good to have a safety plan. Make sure your family, friends, co-workers, etc. are aware of that plan and are ready to put it into action should a tornado warning be issued.