A J.C. Hart Apartment Community in Carmel, IN

Severe Weather Safety: How To Prepare For A Tornado In An Apartment In Carmel

October 07, 2025
Penrose on Mass exterior during a bright sunny day.

If you live in the Midwest, you can count on dangerous weather annually. Odds are, your area will even experience a tornado warning from time to time. While everybody knows how to find safety in a house when tornado sirens blare, the advice for those in apartments is not as clear. When you don’t have a basement to go to, here’s how to prepare for a tornado in an apartment in Carmel.

Tornado Sirens? Where To Shelter In Your Apartment Building

A bathroom with a shower on the left and towel rack and abstract artwork on the right. Then facing an open walk in closet with shelving and hangers

If the tornado alarms sound outside your Carmel apartment, where do you take shelter? A limited number of apartments have below-ground levels. You might even live on a higher level.

While few tornadoes are powerful enough to destroy a sizeable apartment building, smaller ones can still drive objects through windows, remove roofs, or topple trees. Always find shelter during severe winds or tornado warnings in one of these spots:

  • The sub-level of an underground parking garage
  • The ground floor of your apartment building, and away from windows
  • A ground-floor neighbor’s apartment
  • Interior halls or stairwells without windows
  • A closet or interior room of your apartment
  • Underneath a heavy table
  • Within the bathtub with a thick blanket as protection

When you find a place to shelter, don a bike helmet or cover your head with a thick pillow.

Prepare Ahead Of Time For Severe Weather

A contemporary apartment kitchen, dining room, and entryway

The best way to prepare for a tornado in your apartment in Carmel is to keep up with weather alerts and plan ahead. Your plan should incorporate some critical supplies if you are confined to your home or must leave quickly. Pick a designated place to keep your emergency kit and include these supplies:

  • Handheld radio
  • Flashlight
  • Additional batteries
  • Backup set of car and apartment keys
  • Mobile phone charger
  • Money
  • Medical kit
  • Photocopy of your driver’s license
  • Shelf-stable snacks
  • Bottles of water
  • Vital medications
  • Pet essentials

Examine your supplies every six months to make sure they still operate, and switch out the water and snacks. When a tornado warning goes off, take appropriate clothing and shoes with you when sheltering.

Strong winds can easily damage power lines in your area. For power outages, keep these essentials at the ready:

  • Shelf-stable food that doesn’t have to be cooked
  • Battery-powered lights
  • A power bank for powering your cell phone

When you’re fully prepped, you’ll weather any storm better and feel more confident.

What Not To Do During A Tornado

Everyone believes it will never happen to them. You can avoid injury or worse in a storm by avoiding unnecessary danger. Seek shelter as soon as possible and don’t

  • Use an elevator during a tornado
  • Watch out the window
  • Stand outdoors
  • Take shelter under tall furniture pieces like bookcases, shelves, or heavy decor

Make The Legacy Your Home Whatever The Weather!

We can’t prevent tornadoes, but we can give you an exceptional apartment lifestyle at The Legacy Towns and Flats! You’ll feel completely at ease in one of our distinctive apartments accompanied by life-enhancing amenities in a beautiful community. Dial 317-674-1318 or book a tour to come check us out and see why we’re a sought-after place to come home to in Carmel.