Your Guide To Emergency Preparedness For Apartment Dwellers In Carmel

When you live in an apartment, you implement basic safety measures each day, like locking up when you depart. But you probably don’t give as much attention to larger-scale hazards like natural disasters. Storms, fires, and more may happen with little warning and cause a chaotic situation. While apartment buildings are built to endure natural forces, you still need to take precautions. Consult this guide to learn more about emergency preparedness for apartment dwellers in Carmel and feel more confident where you live. 

Prepare Yourself For Any Crisis With An Apartment Emergency Kit

If you need to shelter where you are or evacuate rapidly, having an apartment emergency kit in your Carmel abode will make any urgent event a little easier. Determine an area in your apartment to stow a go-bag and other emergency supplies including: 

• Flashlights

• Additional batteries 

• Weather radio 

• Medicine and first aid kit 

• Power bank or wireless phone charger 

• Three days of water and shelf-stable food

• Supportive shoes and extra clothes 

• Children’s essentials

• Pet food and supplies 

• Additional blankets

• Photocopies of important documents in a plastic bag 

How To Be Prepared For An Apartment Fire In Carmel

With a great number of Residents in the same structure, apartment fires can become extremely hazardous. Taking precautions increases your odds of avoiding harm. 

Your property maintenance team should ensure that fire extinguishers and fire alarms work in each apartment. Do not disconnect or tamper with these. Adhere to community fire rules and don’t use open flames inside. Avoid keeping items in hallways that may injure people during an evacuation. Have an evacuation plan for everybody in your apartment.

If a small fire breaks out in your apartment, comply with recommended guidelines for extinguishing it with a fire extinguisher or water. When dealing with, use baking soda, the extinguisher, or salt. 

Evacuate right away if a fire grows. Use the stairs and the nearest exit and move away from the building before you dial 911. Never prop open doors; they will bring in drafts that intesify the fire. Do not go back in to collect things or others. 

How To Stay Protected In Your Apartment During A Dangerous Storm

The Midwest may experience numerous tornadoes each year. Severe thunderstorms and powerful winds can also be dangerous. You likely learned at a young age to seek shelter in a basement, but what do you do during a tornado in an apartment in Carmel?

The most secure spots for apartment Residents are

• The lowest floor of an underground parking garage

• The lowest floor of your building, and far from windows

• A ground-floor neighbor’s apartment 

• Interior stairwells or halls without windows 

• An interior room or closet of your apartment 

• Under a solid table

• In the bathtub with a thick blanket to help protect you 

Put a bike helmet, hard hat, or pillow on your head. Never stand close to windows or around large objects that might fall on you.

If your building suffers severe damage, evacuate as cautiously as possible. As you leave, be alert for gas leaks and downed power lines. Drive or walk to a safe location. 

How To Stay Safe In Your Apartment During Winter Storms

Winter storms can swiftly turn a lovely winter landscape into a hazardous situation. Watch weather forecasts throughout the season and be ready for inclement weather before it strikes. Don’t get stressed out, but stock up on necessities before a severe weather arrives and have a plan for keepin comfortable in your apartment. Allow water to drip from your faucets to help prevent pipes from freezing. 

Dial your emergency maintenance number immediately if your furnace stops working or you have a burst pipe during freezing temperatures. If your power and heat are lost during a winter storm, follow these recommendations:

• Stay indoors

• Put on layers of warm clothes and wrap up in blankets

• Keep close watch of vulnerable individuals for hypothermia or frostbite

Avoid using fuel-burning appliances inside your apartment to keep warm. They give off toxic gases that build up inside.

Dealing With A Power Outage At Your Apartment In Carmel

Everyone encounters a power outage occasionally. In most cases, your local power company will reconnect your power within a couple of hours. However, a major natural disaster may leave you without electricity for days or possibly weeks.

Your disaster supplies can help you get through a power outage. But, circumstances can become hazardous if you are without heat or air conditioning during harsh temperatures. In this case, frail individuals should relocate to a building with power.

Adhere To These Cooking And Food Safety Tips

Be wary of food that has turned. When losing power, don’t open your fridge and freezer. Generally, food remains safe in a shut refrigerator for up to 4 hours and a freezer for up to 2 days after losing power. If you can locate a cooler with ice, employ it to keep essential food cool during the first 24 hours of a blackout.

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

• Turn off anything that might have been on

• Ask neighbors to inform you when power is back on 

• Watch for downed utility lines as you exit and notify the power company to report any

What To Do If Your Apartment Floods In Carmel

If you live near a river or flood zone, you might encounter flooding after heavy rain or if a dam is breached. Watch for news alerts and take note of issued warnings. If an evacuation is needed, follow these steps:

1. Unplug all dry electrical devices.
2. Rapidly collect necessary items or retrieve your emergency go-bag.
3. Move items you want to save to higher areas.
4. Proceed to a secure location out of the flood zone.
5. Don’t drive over submerged streets or walk into moving water.

In a dire situation during heavy flooding, do all you can to get up to the uppermost floor of your building or the rooftop.

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

Although the Midwest isn’t hotbed for earthquakes, we get a bit of rattling on occasion! It’s a good idea to understand what to do if you experience an earthquake in your apartment in Carmel, as a precaution.

As a preparation, place heavy or large possessions on bottom shelves. Refrain from hanging anything weighty over beds or sitting areas. Secure tall furniture like display cabinets to walls.

As soon as you notice the beginning tremors of an earthquake, go to the ground and crawl to a door frame, against an interior wall or under a heavy table. Stay away from light fixtures, windows, exterior doors, or anything at risk of falling. Protect your head with one hand and hold onto something stable with the other. If you can snag a pillow, get it on top of your head.

When you feel the rattling has ceased, assess yourself and roomates for injuries. Tune in to local media for guidance and prepare yourself for aftershocks. Inspect your close surroundings for dangers like fire, toppled electrical lines, or gas leaks. Put out fires and disable the gas or power if you it’s possible to do so without risk. If you spot building damage, evacuate your building as safely and quickly as possible.

Extra Emergency Preparedness Recommendations For Apartment Residents In Carmel

Disaster can occur at any moment. A few more suggestions can help you deal with the unanticipated and stay protected:

• Rely on neighbors. Become familiar with those in your building so you know who else might be home if a crisis unfolds. Talk about what supplies, protected shelter locations, or knowledge you can share in emergencies. 

• Make sure you carry renters’ insurance. 

• Never use an elevator for evacuation during a dangerous situation.

• Know of a safe spot to shelter pets if you must evacuate to an emergency location. 

• If a disaster makes your building unsafe, don’t return until you get an update from property employees. 

• Utilize a portable radio or smartphone to find local resources if you need to evacuate. 

Your Safety And Comfort Come First At Midtown Flats

We have no control over the weather, but we can offer you an exceptional apartment experience in Carmel! Midtown Flats is noted for our sought-after amenities, terrific location, roomy floor plans, and friendly employees. Take a tour today and talk to one of our leasing specialists about making Midtown Flats your new home.