With climate change concerns and the impact of extreme weather conditions on communities, it is important that Indiana residents know that work is constantly ongoing throughout the state to minimize future damage and loss. The Polis Center at IUPUI—a leader in the disaster resiliency industry nationally—is involved in this effort in a major way, working closely with many Indiana counties, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Floods, tornadoes, severe storms, and earthquakes are among the natural hazard risks in Indiana. Flooding has the highest level of risk in the state. Polis calculates that a 100-year flood could damage 57,000 buildings in the state. Damages to these buildings could exceed $5 billion statewide. The Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment estimates that from 1895 to 2016, the state has seen an increase in its annual average precipitation from 3.3″ in the northeast portion of the state to almost 7″ in the southern portion of the state. Continued increases in rainfall will lead to additional flooding issues in the future.
The Kheprw Institute and The Polis Center are partnering to better understand the criminal justice system in Marion County and investigate potential disparities. Black defendants are significantly overrepresented in case filings compared to the Black share of the Marion County population. Over half of all cases filed by MCPO are against Black defendants while Black adults make up just 27% of the Marion County population.