Provided Webster, Andrea Marie
At a glance
To learn more and view a specific community’s risks, visit hri.eri.iu.edu.
INDIANAPOLIS — Temperatures across the state this week neared or even broke cold weather records, with the Terre Haute Regional Airport reporting a record-low, 7-degree temperature Tuesday.
But researchers with Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute warn that climate change will bring more extreme weather to the Hoosier State, including high heat events and increased precipitation in fall and winter months.
“Every Indiana community is facing challenges as a result of the environmental changes that are happening,” Janet McCabe, director of the Environmental Resilience Institute, said in a press release. “Across the state, we will be seeing more days of extreme heat, heavy rain and flooding, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with these impacts.”
To highlight these concerns, the institute released a Hoosier Resilience Index, which enables viewers to understand how climate change will impact their county, city or town. Local leaders and residents can use the index to assess their community’s preparedness to plan for and withstand the extreme weather of climate change.
The data also include information on how vulnerable each area’s population might be by using census data to identify the percentage of old or young residents and limited English speakers.
With predictions based on medium- and high-emission scenarios, the report notes that all counties will experience more high-heat days and more precipitation, but the southern part of the state, especially the counties bordering Kentucky, will experience the most change.
According to the site, the medium-emission scenario assumes countries will effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions while the high-emissions scenario assumes countries will not reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In the greater Evansville area, nearly all counties would experience double the number of high-heat days and nights under both scenarios. The index defines high-heat events as days exceeding 90 degrees and nights exceeding 68 degrees.
Precipitation events at or above 2 inches over the course of the decade will increase statewide but particularly in the central and southern portions of Indiana, according to the index.
To understand the impact of more precipitation, the report includes information about land use in each county and intersecting floodplains. Developed land can impede the ability of ground surfaces to absorb excess water after heavy rain.
In terms of social vulnerability, high numbers of people with disabilities, elderly residents or people without access to a car can greatly impact an area’s recovery ability.
Indiana’s socially vulnerable populations are comparable to the United States average for most factors, including population age breakdowns, poverty, education attainment and residents with disabilities. However, metropolitan areas of the state had more ethnically diverse populations and higher rates of poverty.
Unlike in most indexes, cities and counties aren’t ranked based on their readiness to combat climate change, and community self-assessments are completely voluntary. On the website, local government officials can complete a readiness assessment, which includes questions about land use, emergency management, public utilities and natural resources.
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