Emergency management officials are encouraging businesses and citizens to create safety plans for severe weather.
Jeff Tiberii: Last year North Carolina had 63 tornadoes touch down, more than double the state's annual average. Julia Jarema is with the department of public safety. She says each year there are thousands of severe weather warnings throughout the state. And she adds, knowing what to do before the weather moves through is a critical step:
Julia Jarema: We want to make sure that everybody, whether you're a family or a business, you know what to do to be safe. Make sure you go to an interior room that's very sturdy. In big areas, you need to make sure you're not in shelters that are not big and open.
Jarema says students, customers and employees need to avoid open areas like cafeterias or big stores. This Severe Weather Awareness Week runs through Saturday. Tomorrow, many schools and government buildings across the state will have Tornado drills tomorrow morning, to rehearse their plans.