America Prepared: A New Approach—Building a Nation Prepared for Extreme Weather

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Federal policy and programs can play a critical role in helping communities—especially those with limited resources—ensure both security and economic vitality in the face of increasing threats from natural hazards. But to get there, the federal government needs a more coordinated approach to empower state and local governments, as well as local institutions and private-sector partners that are working hand in hand with homeowners, businesses, and local and Tribal governments. In this brief, the authors recommend four critical proactive actions the federal government could take to effectively and cost-efficiently prepare the nation for these extreme events and reduce their catastrophic impacts:

1. Empower a national preparedness lead with presidential authority
2. Develop a national preparedness and resilience plan and implementation strategy 
3. Align climate-informed information on extreme weather and natural hazard risks and build an information pipeline that can support local decision-making and preparedness
4. Simplify federal support for risk reduction and empower state and local action