Amarillo rental hail, blizzard and playa-flood plan for landlords

The Panhandle gives an Amarillo landlord three seasons to plan for, and the city’s own code names the third. Spring brings hail and wind — the National Weather Service’s Amarillo office issues the severe-weather products for the region (NWS Amarillo). Winter brings blizzards and the temperatures that trigger §18-1-13, the ordinance that forbids gas disconnection below 40 °F. And rain, when it comes hard, fills the playa lakes the city uses to store runoff; the drainage ordinance states plainly that the fee every lot pays “does not imply or warrant that a benefitted property will be free from flooding” and does not “reduce the need or necessity for flood insurance” (Chapter 18-4). The city’s flood chapter adopts the FEMA flood insurance studies for Potter and Randall counties dated June 4, 2010, and names the City Engineer as floodplain administrator (Chapter 4-8).

Flood: the disclosure and the playa map

Property Code §92.0135 requires the landlord to state whether the dwelling is in a 100-year floodplain and whether it has flooded in the last five years, in the words of the TREC notice. Answer the first question from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center for the address, keep a dated screenshot, and answer the second from records — a previous owner’s disclosure, an insurance claim, or nothing. Amarillo’s lots around playa basins can sit in mapped zones while the next street is clear; the city deploys “portable and permanent pumps at key playa lakes” during heavy rain (Drainage Utility), which is a reason to look at the map rather than the street. A property in a mapped zone should carry an NFIP or private flood policy; the ordinance says the drainage fee is no substitute.

Hail and wind: the spring file

Photograph the roof, fences and any outbuildings each March with dates. Read the policy for a wind-and-hail deductible stated as a percentage of the insured value — on a home at Amarillo’s $196,900 median value (Census) a 2% deductible is close to $4,000 before the insurer pays — and for loss-of-rents cover; a licensed agent answers what the declarations page does not. After a storm, a tenant’s written report of a leak starts the §92.056 clock; acknowledge it the same day and book the roofer the same week.

Blizzard: the winter sequence

October: insulate exposed lines, hose bibs and the irrigation backflow; test the furnace; give the tenant written freeze instructions and the location of the water shutoff.
On a forecast freeze: the tenant drips faucets and opens cabinet doors; the landlord confirms the heating is running in any vacant unit.
If the power fails: the call goes to Southwestern Public Service (Xcel Energy) — there is no retail provider in Amarillo (SPS tariff.pdf)) — and the landlord does not promise a restoration time the utility has not given.
If gas is at stake in a master-metered building: no disconnection for non-payment on a day below 40 °F with the forecast holding; payment plans instead (§§18-1-13, 18-1-14).
If a pipe bursts: the tenant closes the main valve — hence the October walk-through — and reports in writing; the metered water lands on the city account named in the lease, and under §18-2-13 unpaid leakage follows the owner at turnover.

Drought: the stage clause

The city’s Drought Contingency Plan draws on Canadian River Municipal Water Authority supplies and city well fields; Stage 1 asks for voluntary watering schedules and Stage 2 imposes mandatory measures, announced on television, radio and the city website. A lease that fixes watering days is overtaken by a stage change; write instead that the tenant waters as the city’s current stage permits and that the landlord is not responsible for landscaping lost to lawful restrictions.

THE SHEET BY THE DOOR — AMARILLO
Situation	Who to call	Source
Power outage	Southwestern Public Service (Xcel Energy) — no retail provider	SPS tariff.pdf)
Gas outage or smell	The gas utility; leave the building first	Code Ch. 18-1
Burst pipe or leak	Close the main valve; call the landlord’s emergency number; report in writing	Code §18-2-13
Street or playa flooding	Do not drive through water; city drainage utility for blocked inlets	Drainage Utility
Severe weather warning	NWS Amarillo products; interior room away from windows	NWS Amarillo

After the event

Photographs with dates, the tenant’s written reports, the claim number, the contractor invoices and the utility notices go in one folder. If the property flooded, the answer to the second §92.0135 question changes for the next five years — record the date so the next disclosure is right. For a rental in a mapped zone, the Amarillo maintenance guide adds the gutter and swale items to the calendar.

What changes in Amarillo

Playa-lake basins define the flood map; the drainage fee expressly promises no protection.
The FEMA studies the city adopts are dated June 4, 2010; the City Engineer administers the floodplain.
Below 40 °F, gas cannot be disconnected — a rule that binds master-meter landlords.
One outage number: Xcel Energy. No retail provider exists to call.
Drought stages are set by the city’s own plan and announced publicly.

Frequently asked questions

Is Amarillo in a flood zone?

Parts of it are, especially around the playa lakes used for stormwater storage; check the address on the FEMA map and keep a dated screenshot for the §92.0135 disclosure (FEMA, City of Amarillo).

Who do Amarillo tenants call when the power goes out?

Southwestern Public Service (Xcel Energy), which serves Amarillo in both counties; there is no retail electric provider (SPS tariff.pdf)).

Can gas be cut off in an Amarillo freeze?

Not when the day’s temperature fell below 40 °F and the National Weather Service forecasts it to stay there for the next 24 hours (Code §18-1-13).

Does the drainage fee protect a property from flooding?

No. The ordinance states the utility does not warrant that a property will be free from flooding and does not reduce the need for flood insurance (Code Ch. 18-4).

Sources

Rules change and the right answer can depend on the home, the city, the lease and the timing. These are the official pages this guide relies on; check them before signing, charging a fee, sending a notice or making a legal decision.

General information for U.S. landlords, with a Texas focus. This guide is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Written by the rentalfreelease.com Editorial Team; last reviewed September 19, 2026.