Statement from HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan on
the Creation of the State, Local and Tribal Leaders
Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience

November 1, 2013

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan issued the following statement today in support of President Obama's announcement of the creation of the State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience:

"Just one year ago, communities in the New York/New Jersey region and other areas of the Northeast experienced the devastating power of Hurricane Sandy. It left behind billions of dollars worth of damage, over 150 fatalities, and millions of impacted homes and businesses. There is no denying that climate change is affecting our weather patterns, and powerful storms like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy that used to occur every 100 years are occurring with alarming frequency. Over this past summer we also saw record setting heat waves, droughts, wildfires and floods throughout the U.S that demonstrated the need to create and build communities that are more resilient and better prepared to deal with these types of natural disasters.

President Obama recognizes this, which is why he has created the State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, which confirms his commitment to providing Federal resources to states, cities and municipalities so that they may be better prepared and anticipate these types of natural disasters. The new Task Force on Climate Preparedness will further assist us in promoting preparedness, protecting critical infrastructure, and compliment the work that HUD is already doing to help rebuild more resilient communities in the regions impacted by Hurricane Sandy."

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