Spring not only brings blooming dogwoods, warm temperatures and gentle breezes to Georgia, it also carries the threat of severe weather, ranging from thunderstorms with potentially deadly lightning to tornadoes.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Georgia experiences its most severe weather in April. The Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency (OHS-GEMA) urges Georgians to be prepared for Mother Nature's fury this month.

Thunderstorms are typically 15 miles in diameter and last an average of 30 minutes. They are particularly dangerous because of the by products they can produce tornadoes, strong winds, lightning, hail, and heavy rains and flooding.

The most violent of these events are tornadoes. Ranked from F-0 to F-5 on the Fujita Scale, tornadoes can have winds in excess of 250 mph and an average forward speed of 30 mph. Although March through May is considered Georgia's "tornado season," tornadoes can occur at any time of year and any time of day. NWS records show that 59 tornadoes hit Georgia in 2005, resulting in four deaths and 34 injuries. Eighteen of those tornadoes were spawned by Hurricane Katrina.

Heavy winds produced by thunderstorms can also take a toll. In fact, straight-line winds can often exceed 100 mph and cause as much damage as a small tornado. NWS reports nearly 300 incidents of damaging straight-line winds around the state last year, which resulted in one death and two injuries.

Lightning is associated with all thunderstorms, and most lightning injuries and fatalities occur when people are caught outside, especially in afternoons and evenings during the summer months. Lightning causes an average of 80 fatalities and 300 injures annually. In 2005, lightning caused two deaths and 28 injuries in Georgia.

"Obviously, severe weather cannot be prevented, but knowing what to do and how to take shelter from tornadoes, lightning or other dangerous weather can save lives," says GEMA acting Director Charley English.

The key to severe weather preparedness is to have a family disaster plan and a family disaster kit. To create a family disaster plan, gather information about threats and hazards in your community, meet with the family to create the plan, and practice the plan so you can implement it when needed.

A family disaster kit, meanwhile, should provide necessities if you must evacuate or are stranded in your home. The kit should include a three-day supply of water and non-perishable food for each family member, prescription medicine, a change of clothing, blankets and sleeping bags, first aid kit, battery-powered radio, flashlight and other necessities.

OHS-GEMA also recommends having a battery-powered National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio that activates automatically when severe weather alerts are issued by weather forecasters.

For more detailed information on family disaster plans and on how to take shelter from severe weather, visit the NOAA's National Weather Service Web site at www.nws.noaa.gov or the Red Cross Web site at www.redcross.org and click on "get prepared." Or call OHS-GEMA at 1800-TRY-GEMA.