Emergency Shelters Announced for Carmel

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The City of Carmel has opened its Emergency Operations Center with minimal staff at this time. Police and Fire administration are on hand, along with the Carmel Clay Communications Center staff, directing emergency operations.
 
Carmel has also opened four Emergency Shelters in the event Carmel citizens experience a power outage or structural damage at their home and need emergency shelter. Four have been selected to accommodate each side of town. The designated shelters are:
 
Central: Carmel High School, 520 East Main Street, (door number 21, north side by the Natatorium entrance)
Central: John Hensel Township Government Center, 1071 N. College Avenue (no officer present at this location)
West: Creekside Middle School, 3525 West 126th Street
East: Clay Middle School, 5150 East 126th Street
 
The schools will have a Carmel Police Officer there to direct residents into the building. Look for their vehicles to determine which entrance is open at each school.
 
Please remember to bring supplies with you to the shelter such as necessary medications, blankets, food, water, flashlight, battery operated radio and other emergency kit items as needed. These locations are intended to provide shelter from the elements. No food preparation will be available. 
 


The City of Carmel would like to remind its citizens of a few precautions they can take at home to prepare.

*Stay informed. Know your power company’s phone number and call them immediately to report the outage. They will also be able to give you an estimate of how long the outage will last. Another thing you’ll need to stay informed is a crank operated radio.
*Maintain a good first aid kit. Be sure to include a few days supply of any prescription medications.
*Ensure you have a good water source. If you have an electric well pump, you’ll lose water pressure, so be sure you have enough drinking water ready.
*Create an old time refrigerator. Keep ten or more two liter bottles or half gallon milk containers filled with water in your freezer. When the power goes out, place five or six of the frozen bottles in your refrigerator to keep things cool. This is actually how the original refrigerators worked.
*Pack a cooler of food. Take a few essential food items out of your fridge and place them in a camping cooler with two or three more frozen containers, or with some of the ice cubes from your freezer.
*Tape off your fridge and freezer. Put painters or masking tape over your fridge and freezer doors so you don’t absent-mindedly open them. This will help keep all the precious cool air inside where it belongs. You can also put heavy blankets over them for added insulation.
*Candles, lighters, flashlights, and batteries. Stockpile twenty or more large, cheap candles for use as light sources. *Keep several candles in each room and give each person (but not your kids!) a lighter. When anyone enters or leaves a room they can light or blow out the candle accordingly. You’ll also want to stockpile batteries and give each person in your house a personal flashlight.
*Leave a light turned on so you know when power is restored.
*Have a camp stove ready. If you have an electric stove, invest in a propane powered camp stove and a few portable propane bottles so you’ll have a way to cook if needed. Just be sure to read the instructions for your stove and cook outside if necessary.
*Be safe with backup generators.
*Prepare your pantry with a few quick emergency meals. An example of a meal that you can whip up quickly and with minimal effort is black bean spaghetti. Mix together a can of black beans & a can of spaghetti sauce, boil up some noodles and voíla, you have yourself a healthy and cheap emergency meal. Some other quick & easy options are soup, crackers, beans, and peanut butter & honey sandwiches.
*Have a collection of non-electric games. These will give you something fun while the power is out. Consider things such as Yahtzee, playing cards, dice, trivia, charades, Monopoly, etc.
*Charge your cell phone while the power is on so you have a full battery if the power goes out.
*Make sure you have “car chargers” for cell phones. This will ensure that you can keep your battery charged even when the power is out. Just be sure to plug your phone in during any car trips during the power outage, no matter how short they might be.
*Disconnect garage door opener. Make sure you know how to disconnect your garage door opener so you can get the car out of the garage.
*Go outside. If it is still light and the weather clears up, go for a walk or any other activity to get you out of the house.
*Internet access. If you need internet access and have a laptop, take it to your local coffee shop. If you don’t have a laptop, go to your local library. Of course, if the outage is widespread, you might be out of luck.
*Do you have enough cash on hand? A major power outage could limit your ways for getting cash at ATMs. If businesses don’t have power, they can’t use their credit card machines. Have some cash in case of emergency to buy food or other items.
*Maintain a positive attitude. This is crucial for keeping spirits high…especially if you’re the head of the house.


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