AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The Panhandle fires for many were a reality check that emergencies can happen at any moment.

In order to stay up to date and be educated about emergency preparation the National Weather Service here in Amarillo hosted their annual Severe Weather Workshop.

"With the wildfire and tornado season being upon us typically you get very little time -- most of the time its less than 10 minutes -- before you know severe weather is going to immediately affect you," said Shane Brown, Panhandle Region Planning Commission.

Brown says you should always have a emergency plan in place.

"You should keep food, water, shelter and medication in a rubber tote you can either use in your home or you can put in your car and get away -- this is extremely important to the welfare of everybody,"

And having an emergency plan in place is just the first step.

"It's good to turn off the lights, the gas and the water for one night at your house to practice the plan you put together with your with your kids, parents or grandparents whatever the case may be. It's great if you make these preparations, but if you don't tell everybody in your family then you're still as unprepared as you were before."

Brown says having enough food and water for 72 hours should be sufficient, and to not forget about the little things like paper plates and plastic utensils.

He also says to check the shelf life of dry and canned foods, and that it's never a bad idea to have a portable weather alert radio.