A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. If a tornado warning is issued for your area and the sky becomes threatening, move to your pre-designated place of safety. When a tornado threatens, individuals need to have a safe place to go and time to get there. Even with advances in meteorology, warning times may be short or sometimes not possible. Lives are saved when individuals receive and understand the warning, know what to do, and know the safest place to go. Tornadoes, Quick facts you should know about: (a) They may strike quickly, with little or no warning. (b) They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel. (c) The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction. (d) The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph, but may vary from stationary to 70 mph. (e) Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land. (f) Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water. (g) Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer