Cartographic Resources for Weather Events

Droughts to Floods:  Mapping Extreme Weather

Extreme weather conditions are happening this summer in the United States.  Severe drought is affecting the Southwest and West, while flooding is a concern in the Midwest.  The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes maps and atlases depicting historic weather conditions, climate maps, and atlases of natural disasters.

The New York Times has published a set of interactive maps showing how the drought has affected water use in California.  Users can view maps showing the changes in daily residential water use over the last two years:  “Statewide, water use decreased 13.5 percent during that period.”  Maps showing the size of proposed water usage cuts are available due to new mandatory restrictions on water use.  And maps showing the daily gallons used per capita are also available.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources maintains an Indiana Floodplain Mapping page which includes the Indiana Floodplain Information Portal that provides an interactive floodplain mapping tool, with specific address searching.

The GRMC includes flood insurance studies and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) maps for cities and towns in Indiana.  Maps from the Indiana flood Control and Water Resources Commission are also available in the GRMC.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer.  For more information about these cartographic resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.