Your Guide To Emergency Preparedness For Apartment Dwellers In Carmel

Residing in an apartment, you follow simple safety measures every day, like locking your door when you leave. But you might not give as much attention to larger-scale hazards like natural disasters. Storms, fires, and more may happen with hardly any warning and cause a chaotic situation. While apartment buildings are built to stand up to environmental forces, you still must protect yourself. Use this guide to discover more about emergency preparedness for apartment dwellers in Carmel and feel more secure where you reside. 

Be Prepared For Anything With An Apartment Emergency Kit

If you need to shelter in place or evacuate swiftly, having a well-stocked apartment emergency kit in your Carmel abode will make any urgent event a little easier. Find a spot in your apartment to store a go-bag and additional emergency supplies like the following: 

• Flashlights

• Extra batteries 

• Weather radio 

• First aid kit and vital medications 

• Wireless phone charger or power bank 

• Water and non-perishable, no-cook food for three days

• Durable shoes and extra clothes 

• Children’s essentials

• Pet food and supplies 

• Additional blankets

• Photocopies of essential documents in a plastic bag 

How To Be Prepared For An Apartment Fire In Carmel

With a great number of Residents in a single structure, apartment fires can become extremely hazardous. Being ready increases your probability of survival. 

Your apartment maintenance team should ensure that fire extinguishers and smoke alarms are operational in all units. Do not disconnect or tamper with these. Follow community fire guidelines and don’t use open flames indoors. Avoid storing items in hallways that could be in the way during an evacuation. Design an evacuation plan for your household.

If a less intense fire occurs in your apartment, adhere to recommended guidelines for putting it out with a fire extinguisher or water. When dealing with, employ the extinguisher, baking soda, or salt. 

Evacuate at once if a fire gets larger. Depart using the stairs and the closest exit and distance yourself from the structure before dialing 911. Don’t prop open doors; they will bring in drafts that help spread fire. Avoid going back inside to retrieve things or people. 

How To Take Cover In Your Apartment During A Strong Storm

The Midwest may see a great many tornadoes every year. Fierce thunderstorms and powerful winds can also be dangerous. You probably learned at a young age to shelter in a basement, but what can you do during a tornado in an apartment in Carmel?

The safest spots for apartment dwellers are

• The sub-level of an underground parking garage

• The lowest floor of your building, and a safe distance from windows

• A neighbor’s bottom-floor apartment 

• Interior halls or stairwells without windows 

• A closet or interior room of your apartment 

• Below a heavy table

• Inside the bathtub with a heavy blanket to help protect you 

Wear a bicycle helmet, construction hat, or pillow on your head. Don’t stand close to windows or near hefty objects that might fall on you.

If your building experiences serious damage from heavy storms, evacuate as cautiously as possible. As you exit, be alert for gas leaks and damaged power lines. Drive or walk to a safe place. 

How To Stay Safe In Your Apartment During Winter Storms

Winter weather can turn a lovely snow-covered day into a hazardous situation rapidly. Watch weather forecasts regularly and prepare for harsh weather before it hits. Don’t stress yourself out, but gather essential items before a winter storm hits and make a plan for keepin comfortable in your apartment. Keep water dripping from faucets to help prevent pipes from freezing. 

Dial your emergency maintenance hotline promptly if your furnace stops working or you experience a burst pipe during cold weather. If your power and heat are lost during an ice or snow storm, abide by these tips:

• Stay indoors

• Put on layers of warm clothes and cover yourself in blankets

• Keep an eye on vulnerable individuals for hypothermia or frostbite

Do not use fuel-consuming appliances in your apartment to keep warm. They release dangerous gases that accumulate inside.

Living With A Power Outage At Your Apartment In Carmel

We all experience a power outage occasionally. In most cases, your local utility company will bring back power within a couple of hours. With that being said, a major natural disaster can leave you without electricity for many days or even weeks.

Your disaster supplies can help you survive a power outage. Even so, conditions can get hazardous if you are without AC or heat during harsh temperatures. If this happens, vulnerable individuals should relocate to accommodations with power.

Abide By These Cooking And Food Safety Recommendations

Be wary of food that has gone bad. When losing power, don’t open your refrigerator and freezer. As a general rule, food keeps in an unopened refrigerator for around 4 hours and a freezer for up to 2 days after a power failure. If you can find a cooler with ice, use it to keep essential food cool throughout the initial day of an outage.

Here’s what you should do if you need to leave during a power outage at your apartment in Carmel:

• Shut off any appliances that may have been running

• Encourage neighbors to notify you when power is back on 

• Be alert to downed utility lines as you exit and notify the energy company to report them

What To Do If Your Apartment Floods In Carmel

If you live near a flood zone or river, you might encounter flooding after heavy rain or if a dam is breached. Watch for news alerts and follow issued warnings. If you have to evacuate, adhere to these steps:

1. Disconnect all electrical devices that are still dry.
2. Rapidly pack your bare necessities or get your emergency go-bag.
3. Move essentials and precious items to elevated spots.
4. Evacuate to a secure location away from the flood zone.
5. Never drive through flooded areas or step into flowing water.

In a dire situation during flash flooding, do all you can to make your way to the top story of your building or the rooftop.

What To Do If There’s An Earthquake In Your Apartment 

Although the Midwest isn’t well known for earthquakes, we get a little shake on occasion! It doesn’t hurt to understand what to do if you experience an earthquake in your apartment in Carmel, as a precaution.

To make your home more prepared for an earthquake, store heavy or large possessions on lower shelves. Don’t hang anything substantial over couches or beds. Secure tall furniture like bookshelves to walls.

If you detect the beginning tremors of an earthquake, get to the floor and make your way to a door frame, under a solid furnishing, or next to an interior wall. Avoid windows, exterior doors, light fixtures, or anything that could fall. Cover your head with one hand and grab onto anything stable with the other. If you can reach a pillow, put it above your head.

Once it appears the quake has ceased, check yourself and other occupants for injuries. Pay attention to local news outlets for information and prepare yourself for aftershocks. Check your nearby surroundings for threats like toppled power lines, fires, or gas leaks. Smother fires and shut down the gas or power if you it’s possible to do so safely. If you spot building damage, evacuate as carefully and rapidly as possible.

Additional Emergency Preparedness Recommendations For Apartment Residents In Carmel

Disaster can strike at any second. A few extra recommendations can help you deal with the unforeseen and stay safe:

• Rely on neighbors. Become familiar with others in your building so you’re aware who else might be around if an emergency occurs. Talk about what supplies, protected shelter spots, or skills you can share in urgent events. 

• Always carry renters’ insurance. 

• Do not use an elevator to exit the building during a dangerous situation.

• Arrange a safe place to take pets if you need to evacuate to a temporary shelter. 

• If a disaster renders your building unsafe, don’t come back until you get a notice from property staff. 

• Utilize a battery-powered radio or cell phone to find local resources if you have to evacuate. 

Your Well-Being And Comfort Come First At Highpointe on Meridian Apartments

We have no control over the weather, but we can offer you an incredible apartment living experience in Carmel! Highpointe on Meridian Apartments is recognized for our spacious apartment layouts, sought-after amenities, fantastic location, and responsive staff. Take a tour today and talk with one of our leasing professionals about making Highpointe your new home.