FEMA Strikes the Words 'Climate Change' From its Strategic Plan

Coming off a year of historically catastrophic extreme weather, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has decided to avoid using the "double C word."

1 minute read

March 20, 2018, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Flood Damaged Suburb

michelmond / Shutterstock

Umair Irfan reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's strategic plan for the years 2018 to 2022 does not include any reference to climate change.

The strategic plan instead uses tortured semantics while projecting more frequent and more expensive disasters in the coning years. "Disaster costs are expected to continue to increase due to rising natural hazard risk, decaying critical infrastructure, and economic pressures that limit investments in risk resilience,” according to the document."

Irfan places the decision to elide climate change from FEMA's strategic plan in the context of the megadisasters of 2017. Irfain says hurricanes, heat waves, wildfires, and tornadoe cost "at least" $306 billion in 2017.

The move is the latest Trump Administration controversy to follow from perhaps troubling choices of words. The FEMA strategic plan news follows shortly after news that the Department of Housing and Urban Development was planning to remove references to discrimination in its mission statement.  

Friday, March 16, 2018 in Vox

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing