Craig Fugate on Climate Adaptation and FEMA’s Evolving Disaster Strategy

Former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Craig Fugate sat with journalist Amna Nawaz on the PBS News “Settle In” podcast to discuss how climate change is reshaping disaster response. Fugate explained that, during the Obama administration, internal discussions increasingly focused on mitigating the effects of a warming climate rather than solely on traditional disaster mitigation. Fugate said the comment clarified the agency’s direction and sparked debate within the climate community about the balance between adaptation and mitigation.

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Fugate led FEMA through a period marked by a surge in high-impact events, including Superstorm Sandy. He noted that the agency historically relied on a century of historical data to guide rebuilding efforts. However, the frequency and intensity of recent storms have exposed the limits of that approach, prompting calls for updated guidance that accounts for future climate risks.

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According to Fugate, the Obama administration’s emphasis on adaptation led FEMA to reconsider how it allocates tax-payer funds for rebuilding. Rather than simply restoring structures to pre-disaster conditions with modest code upgrades, the agency began evaluating long-term risk projections to inform reconstruction decisions.

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Fugate argued that embracing adaptation requires FEMA to integrate climate projections into its planning and to shift resources toward measures that reduce vulnerability over the long term. He suggested that without such changes, rebuilding efforts may repeatedly expose communities to escalating hazards. The conversation underscores a broader transition within federal emergency management: from reacting to past disasters toward proactively preparing for a climate-altered future.

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