With all the rain we've received in Amarillo the last week or so, it's kind of put us on alert for even more. That's a good thing, because more is coming.

And not just rain, but it sounds like this week, we could be looking at severe thunderstorms every single evening. High winds, hail, and even potentially tornadoes if the conditions are right.

It's been awhile since we've had to think about THIS many storms hitting us here, I mean we only average about 20 inches of precipitation each year. Just in the last week, our month to date total is sitting at 3.75 inches, and that puts us at more than 2 inches over our average.

If it's severe storms we're looking at, then we have to remember to be prepared. There's only so much our infrastructure can handle with the elements before things start going haywire. So what do you do when the power goes out? Are you prepared for an extended period of time without it?

I'm here to give you a little refresher of things you'll want on hand as these severe storms hit us this week.

BATTERY OPERATED RADIO

No, I'm not just saying this because I want you to listen to me during a storm. When the power goes out, so does your TV. I mean, unless you have one of those fancy handheld TV's, you aren't going to be able to get any kind of storm updates there. However, there are radios that operate on battery power, and we will give you updates on warnings and storms in your area. This one is essential so you know if something is headed your way.

FLASHLIGHT

Again, we go back to that pesky power outage thing. Sure, you know how to move about in your house when it's dark because you know the layout. What about when you're looking for a specific item? Maybe you've got kids that are afraid of the dark. At the end of the day, you want to make sure you have SOME sort of light. You can lump candles into this as well.

EMERGENCY FOOD & WATER

The food you will want is stuff that doesn't require any cooking. You don't know how long the power could be out, so you're going to want to make sure you have something the family can eat if it's out for too long. Water is important to have as in a bad enough storm, you could end up with water that isn't treated and end up on a boil notice. It's always a good thing to have some gallons of water in the house.

STURDY SHOES

You want sturdy shoes, something like work boots or some kind of tennis shoes with a strong sole on them. Crocs, flip-flops, etc. won't be your best option if you need to go outside after a storm. The ground is going to be potentially flooded, but definitely very soft and muddy. There could also be sharp objects, broken glass, etc. on the ground depending on how strong the storm was. You don't want to be trudging around in your Crocs through all that.

EXTRA BATTERIES

I know, they're expensive and usually get used up for things in the house. However, if you end up without power for days, the batteries that are running your radio and other things you're able to use will eventually die. You don't want to go out and try to find some at a store, there's a good chance they'll be gone like toilet paper during COVID.

There are several other items you'll want to think about having on hand, as well as storm safety tips, that you can find by clicking here.

TIPS: Here's how you can prepare for power outages

Remnants of the 1970 Lubbock Tornado

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