CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- A series of deadly storms that pummeled the Midwest combined with the recent rain in Charlotte and surrounding areas reminds us that hurricane season is here.

"It's not if you're going to have severe weather, it's when you're going to have severe weather," said WBTV meteorologist Al Conklin,

Getting the latest warnings when storms are headed your way, and knowing what to do before, during and after a disaster hits are all key to staying safe.

"You have to have a weather safety plan," said Conklin. 

"In other words know what your risk is."

First thing - keep up with the forecast.

"Stay on top of the situation by monitoring WBTV and if you can't, then mobile phone is the way to go," added Conklin.

The WBTV weather app is free.

It will give you warnings, alerts and keep you updated on information so you'll know what's going on.  

MORGANTON, NC (WBTV)- Meet Millie Gordon once and you'll never forget her.

She's 80-something (adamantly not specifying) and considers herself to have so many kids, she loses count after 500.

They're not all her actual children, of course.  But she still considers all the inmates at The Western Youth Institution – a youth prison – "her boys". 

"I got into this job because after being married 29 years and having four children, my husband left me," Millie says.  "I was very depressed.  I was doing music in church, but everything had lost its meaning.  It got so bad that one night, I dropped to my knees and asked God to put meaning back into my life. 

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- Many households have them: The 20-year-old freezer in the garage that's seldom used, or that old clunker of a refrigerator collecting dust – and using lots of energy – in the basement.

"The potential to save money and energy – and even earn extra cash – can be found in recycling outdated, secondary refrigerators and freezers that are in working condition located throughout your home," said John Langston, program manager for Duke Energy's appliance recycling program.

Unplugging and properly disposing of these energy-hogging dinosaurs through recycling can save money, reduce energy demand and environmental impact, and possibly delay the need for Duke Energy to build new power plants: