AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Severe weather across the area can happen quickly. During severe weather season, we need to know what to do before, during, and after an event. It is better to be prepared before a severe weather event occurs.

“Ensuring that you have the right tools, the right information, the right knowledge and the right confidence to protect yourself and your family is critical to ensure that we can mitigate either loss to your property or inevitably, loss of life,” said Max Dunlap, Director of Emergency Management at Amarillo Office of Emergency.

When preparing for an event, you need to have a plan for where to take shelter from severe weather. Basements and storm shelters make great safe places when severe weather strikes. If you do not have a basement or storm shelter nearby, go to the most interior room of a permanent building. Places to avoid during a severe weather event would be under overpasses, mobile homes, or in your vehicle.

Having a severe weather safety kit is necessary when planning before an event.

“You want to have things that can last you for at least 24 to 72 hours,” said National Weather Service in Amarillo’s Warning Coordination Meteorologist Joanne Culin. “Canned goods, water, flashlight with batteries, first aid kit, that sort of thing will help start you off with a good preparedness kit.”

Important documents, pet food, sleeping bags, prescription medicine, and other items should also be kept in a safety kit.

Culin explained that technology can sometimes fail. Therefore, during a severe weather event, you need several ways of receiving alerts and the latest updates.

“The Wireless Emergency Alerts are a great way to get warning information… your local media… having a weather radio, even maybe making calls to your family and friends to alert them of ongoing weather situations,” explained Culin.

After an event, Dunlap said that you and your family’s safety takes priority.

“Ensure you, yourself, your family are safe and healthy. Once from there, you can start to come out of your safe place and to ensure that if there is any damage, that you stay very clear of that,” said Dunlap. “If you can, exit the home as soon as possible, safely as possible, and contact help.”

Knowledge is key. Knowing the difference between a watch and a warning can help combat storm stress on a severe weather day:

• A watch means the weather conditions are favorable for possible tornadoes or severe thunderstorms to form and;
• A warning means taking action. When a warning has been issued, a severe thunderstorm or tornado has been observed or indicated by radar

“Do everything that you can have control over, such as having a preparation plan, attending spotter training or weather education classes so that you can understand weather better,” said Culin.

Culin mentioned that if you have hail or funnel cloud reports, contact the National Weather Service office or local emergency management officials.

For more information about NWS Amarillo, check out the website or Facebook page. For information on Amarillo OEM, check out their Facebook page.