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QUINCY, ILL. -- The National Weather Service says 70 people died and more than 800 people were hurt in 2012 due to tornados.

On March 1, 2013, Illinois kicked off Severe Weather Awareness Month.

John Simon is the director of the Adams County Emergency Management Agency and he knows all too well how destructive tornados can be. They can tear homes apart and injure or kill people all across the U.S. So that's why he wants you to pay attention and get ready for severe weather.

"We can sit here and spend a two hour segment just talking about severe weather preparation from how do I receive warning if I;m outside, how do I receive warning if it's two o'clock in the morning the fact is more people are killed in night time tornados because they don't have a NOAA alert weather radio in their home to wake them up at two thirty in the morning," Simon said.

According to the National Weather Service, 2012 was one of the quietest years for tornado fatalities. Only 70 people were killed across the U.S.

But spring is tornado season and it might surprise you to read that the months of March, April and May are the highest when it comes to confirmed tornados in 2012.

"But as we go into the springtime months we're getting more of a surge of warm moist air pulling into the region these two air masses clash and battle and the result often times are very very strong powerful thunderstorms," KHQA Chief Meteorologist Mike Cole said.