Since 2020, there have been almost 200 major disasters in heartland states, which according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) includes everything from severe storms, fires, ice storms and severe flooding. As new methods of predicting catastrophic weather have become available with the development of new technologies, heartland states and organizations are leveraging new innovations to adopt data-driven AI tools for early warning and prevention.
As reported in the April 2025 Pulse article, “The Price Tag on Resilience: Economic Impacts of Rebuilding and Restoring”, studies show that every $1 spent on [disaster] mitigation returns an average of $6 in future avoided losses.” Proactively investing in disaster preparedness is a critical economic development strategy–and the communities moving to adopt AI-powered tools for this purpose can serve as examples of data-driven decision making’s profound impact on economic health. Promising innovations are being incorporated across the heartland.
Among the most popular uses of AI in disaster preparedness is in the prevention of disastrous flooding. At the Hydroinformatics Lab at Tulane University, Dr. Ibrahim Demir and his team are incorporating a data-driven approach to create a wide range of uses supported by AI. Using AI, realistic river images can model wetland loss, water level estimation and sediment movement, all important indicators of flood mitigation and risk.
His team is taking it beyond classroom theory with the recently launched FPM AI. FPM, short for “floodplain management,” is a tool for emergency management leaders to monitor and predict flooding events. Currently in a pilot with the state of Louisiana, FPM AI is serving as a helpful support tool for communities that do not have a full-time floodplain manager on staff. This enhanced support allows for flooding to be predicted up to 10 days in advance, giving smaller communities much needed support in disaster preparedness.
“Flood prevention begins before the first raindrop falls. By leveraging real-time data from local rivers and waterways, we can present leaders and community members with crucial intelligence for community planning and disaster preparedness that they otherwise might not have. By expanding access to this information, we’re hoping to prevent catastrophe, limit destruction and save lives.”
Dr. Ibrahim Demir, HydroInformatics Lab at Tulane University
The team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies takes a different approach to the integration of AI in disaster preparedness. Alongside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the team has developed the Next Generation Fire System (NGFS), merging AI and satellite observations to track the development and spread of wildfires. NGFS generates a fire detection map of the United States every 5 minutes, with AI enabling review of massive amounts of data, saving valuable time for first responders. States and emergency services during Oklahoma’s 2025 wildfire outbreak were able to track and monitor 19 separate fires, resulting in “saving around $850 million dollars in structures and property”.
“By integrating AI into satellite-based wildfire detection, we can provide local and state emergency service agencies with earlier, more reliable wildfire detections and more time to respond while the fires are still manageable. When it comes to preventing wildfire–and all natural disasters–AI cannot replace the human experts, but can help to quickly provide actionable information. This makes all the difference in lives and property saved.”
Dr. Brad Pierce, Director of the Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Like the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, the University of Oklahoma in partnership with the National Weather Service, has utilized AI to improve traditional forecasting systems. By combining radar, satellite imagery and in-person observations with AI-enhanced systems, forecasts are generated faster and more accurately. This was put to the test in April 2025, when two EF2 tornadoes hit northwest Texas. Due to this enhanced forecasting, Texans in the path were given a 90 minute heads up, resulting in no injuries or loss of life. In the heartland’s tornado alley, this improved data plays a key role in informing evacuation policy, sharing shelter recommendations for residents and increasing residents’ timeframe to seek shelter in the event of an emergency.
“We’re seeing the ways that AI has improved severe weather preparation and mitigating some impacts of natural disasters. As AI continues to develop, finding areas to integrate and build on traditional methods of forecasting becomes increasingly important to understanding large amounts of data. In our line of work, access to information and accurate predictions are a transformational advantage for keeping our communities safe.”
Dr. Greg McFarquhar, Director Cooperative Institute for Severe and High Impact Weather and Operations, University of Oklahoma.
AI-enhanced disaster prevention and preparation is protecting lives, limiting destruction and saving communities money–demonstrating how crucial access to data is to state and local policy. Just as c flood zone maps guide construction and evacuation planning, monitoring commuter patterns can show new industries opportunities to engage a workforce. Forecasting severe weather can lead a community to guard its buildings and protect its residents in the same way forecasting young firm success trends can help promote policies to incentivize further entrepreneurship and grow local jobs.
This kind of impact isn’t limited to disaster prevention or response. The tools used to map economic and social factors are equally vital to advancing economic development and improving quality of life—including Heartland Forward’s Center for Investment Readiness, which is expanding innovative uses of AI-supported data to grow heartland communities.
Greater access to data leads to stronger policy across all issue areas, as evident in disaster prevention and investment attraction in the heartland. Artificial intelligence is spurring innovations and analyzing data previously unavailable to community leaders. In developing community economies, the local businesses, policymakers and community leaders will need to turn to tools like the Next Generation Fire System or FPM AI– or CIR–to keep the heartland at the forefront of the modern economy.