Climate Change, Slow-Onset Disasters, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Climate change is already affecting the United States, as evidenced by high temperature extremes and heavy precipitation events. Experts predict these trends will continue and worsen, resulting in more severe and frequent slow-onset disasters. Congress may consider the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in dealing with these incidents. Although FEMA does not have an explicit mission to address climate change, it is expanding its activities related to national adaptation to some of its effects, such as extreme weather events.

This paper highlights issues that FEMA may encounter when implementing the Stafford Act for slow-onset climate change events. Slow-onset disasters are not defined in the Stafford Act, FEMA regulations or guidance, or existing emergency or major disaster definitions.