Amanda Mullan is the Extreme Weather Resilience Hub Coordinator and Project Director at the Academy
On Thursday, May 22, 2025, the National Academy of Public Administration launched the Extreme Weather Resilience Hub at the home of Academy Fellows Mark and Jane Pisano. This initiative marks a significant milestone in our efforts to transform public administration and address the growing impacts of extreme weather at the local level.
A Vision Realized
The creation of the Extreme Weather Resilience Hub is a testament to the vision and generosity of Mark and Jane Pisano. Their inspiration, long-term planning and funding have made it possible to establish this Hub at the Academy, providing us with a timely opportunity to start important climate-resilience and intergovernmental work that will be crucial to public administrators in the near future.
The Growing Challenge
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, widespread, and costly across the United States and the world. The number of annual natural disasters causing more than $1 billion in economic damage has nearly doubled from 14 in 2014 to 27 in 2024. The 2025 Southern California wildfires alone caused hundreds of billions of dollars in physical damage and broader economic losses, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. These events lead to widespread damage, economic disruption, and increased vulnerability to future shocks.
The rising costs of property insurance further exacerbate the challenges faced by homeowners and rental housing providers. Many private insurers have exited certain markets due to risk levels and restrictions on premium adjustments, leaving approximately 6 million homes uninsured in 2021. This situation disproportionately affects households earning under $50,000 per year, highlighting the need for comprehensive adaptation measures.
A Shift in Approach
Historically, our system has focused more on responding to and recovering from disasters after they happen. However, with the increase in the number and severity of disasters, research shows that pre-disaster investments can save up to $13 for every $1 invested. We need to transform this approach to focus more on proactive measures.
Place-based Solutions to Local Problems
The impact of extreme weather is most significantly felt at the local level. Local governments are at the frontline of adaptation, best positioned to know the needs of their communities. They are responsible for setting land use regulations and building codes, which can limit development in high-risk areas and ensure new construction is resistant to future weather events. However, the current administration's proposal to eliminate programs like the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program poses a significant challenge to building local capacity.
Governance and Finance
Effectively adapting to extreme weather requires new ways of governing and financing. The Intergovernmental Panel of the United Nations (IPCC) identified adaptation governance and financing as two major challenges to implementing successful adaptation measures. Decision-making is fragmented across many units of local government, involving multiple agencies and sectors. Additionally, risk-reduction projects often exceed what a single locality can afford and cover a larger area than a single locality controls.
The Hub's Mission
The Extreme Weather Resilience Hub enables transformational government by focusing on three key areas: experts, assessment, and solutions.
- We will draw in experts on foundational issues to address governance and financing structures that enable adaptation;
- We will identify barriers to implementing successful adaptation projects on a regional or cross-jurisdictional scale; and
- We will work with experts to identify or establish new governance structures and make recommendations to address these barriers.
Our goal is to create solutions that can be replicated in other communities.
The Pilot Project
The Hub's first project will be a pilot to test a new framework, leveraging the Fellows' knowledge and Academy staff's expertise. We will identify a first location, determine how the Academy will be involved, and capture lessons learned from other ongoing efforts.
The launch of the Extreme Weather Resilience Hub is a significant step forward in our efforts to address the growing impacts of extreme weather. Together, we can make an enormous difference in public administration and create a more resilient future for all Americans.
