From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Extreme Heat: FEMA's Role Remains Unclear

Description: 

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), extreme heat is the
leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S.--killing more people
than floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined. GAO was asked to
examine the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) efforts to
support states and localities experiencing extreme heat events. This
report examines, among other things, (1) where forecast data projected
extreme heat could occur; (2) the extent FEMA assisted Tribes, states,
and localities to mitigate extreme heat; and (3) the extent that FEMA
helped those entities respond to and recover from extreme heat events. 
Related GAO Work: GAO-25-107474. Extreme Heat: Limited FEMA Assistance
Highlights Need for Reevaluation of Agency's Role

Released: September 2025

[ GAO Director Chris Currie, speaking ]
When you think of disasters, you may not think of extreme heat like you
do hurricanes, floods or wildfires. But actually, heat causes more
deaths every year than these other events. The problem is getting worse.
Between 2018 and 2024, 97% of counties across the US were forecasted to
reach dangerous levels of heat, according to the National Weather
Service. And about 312 million people in 2024, in the US lived under
dangerous heat forecasts for at least one day. 

We talked to federal agencies like FEMA and the National Weather
Service. We also visited numerous locations around the country to talk
to officials about the challenges of addressing extreme heat in their
communities. Heat does not just affect human health, it can also damage
infrastructure, particularly in parts of the country that are not used
to this type of heat. For example, in 2021, there was a heat dome in the
Pacific Northwest of the United States, an area that is not used to
extreme heat. This heat buckled roads and damaged bridges, causing them
to malfunction. 

What we found is that the federal role in extreme heat emergencies is
not quite clear. Very little FEMA mitigation funding has gone to address
extreme heat events. Also, FEMA has never declared a federal disaster
for extreme heat because it's very hard to quantify the impacts of these
disasters. However, the impacts are real. 

We are recommending a number of steps to help state and local
governments better prepare to mitigate against extreme heat and to
justify investments to prepare for these types of events. To find out
more, please go to GAO.gov.
[ End ]

For more info, check out our report GAO-25-107474 at: GAO.gov