- New Report: STAT Network highlights increasing threats, shows how states are rewriting playbooks in real time to protect American health, safety and economic vitality
- First-ever survey reveals urgent need for coordinated action: only 5 percent of state health officials feel “very prepared,” 61 percent relied on federal funds now in flux
PROVIDENCE, R.I. | November 3, 2025 — A new report from the STAT Network reveals that extreme weather events are jeopardizing the health, safety and economic prospects of Americans. Published today in partnership with the Federation of American Scientists and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the report reveals first-of-its-kind data from state public health officials in 45 states and territories on the urgent need for state-led coordination. The report also spotlights innovations that are being adopted and scaled through the STAT Network despite drastic cuts in federal funding to public health.
“States are navigating a new normal of extreme weather crises — heat waves following floods, wildfires overlapping with hurricanes — while the federal support and data tools they’ve relied on are eroding,” said Stefanie Friedhoff, professor of the practice at Brown University School of Public Health and leader of the STAT Network, a national network of over 600 state-level public health officials from all 50 states and several territories. “No state should be left to shoulder this alone. Through our Extreme Weather & Health group and this report, we elevate what’s working on the ground as states are leading the response and offer a practical roadmap for acting at the speed and complexity of today’s hazards.”
The STAT Network, which supports state public health officials across a range of pressing public health issues, started a dedicated extreme weather and health group in August 2024, serving as an essential connection point for collective problem solving in a shifting landscape.
Of 136 state respondents who participated in the STAT Extreme Weather & Health survey shared with states in summer 2025:
- only 5% feel “very prepared” to handle the escalating public health impacts of extreme weather
- 61% prepared for extreme weather using federal funds that are now in flux
- 39% cited federal partnerships as historically one of the most effective mechanism to address impacts
- 94% are concerned that socioeconomic disparities moderately (27%) or significantly (67%) contribute to unequal outcomes during extreme weather events in their state.
The new report, Protecting Americans’ Health in the Face of Extreme Weather: A Roadmap for Coordinated Action was developed to support these leaders at this moment of evolving challenges, needs and opportunities. The report details how states are pivoting their preparedness playbooks, showcases replicable new models, and identifies pressing gaps that funders, policymakers and thought leaders must still fill.
“Extreme weather events are no longer just natural disasters — they’re public health emergencies. From heat waves that overwhelm hospitals to floods that cut off access to care, Americans are feeling the strain in their communities,” said Derek Kilmer, Senior Vice President for U.S. Program and Policy at The Rockefeller Foundation. “That’s why The Rockefeller Foundation launched the STAT Network at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic — to strengthen public health infrastructure through interstate collaboration and cross-sector partnerships. That same level of coordination is just as critical today as we face growing threats to health, safety, and economic opportunity.”
“One in three Americans report being personally affected by extreme weather in just the past two years — illustrating that extreme weather has become extremely common,” said Dr. Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at the Federation of American Scientists. “The good news is that the negative health impacts of extreme weather are largely preventable. FAS is excited to partner with the STAT Network to help states step up as the federal government steps back, putting in place the innovative, evidence-based strategies we need to protect people and communities across the country.”
A changed landscape
Protecting Americans’ Health describes how extreme weather events have become more frequent, severe and widespread. From wildfires that quickly spiraled out of control in Maui and Los Angeles, to illness from extreme heat overloading emergency rooms across the Southwest, to sudden flash flooding from Hurricane Helene catching entire regions off-guard across Appalachia, it is clear that existing playbooks are no longer sufficient to respond to rapidly evolving threats. At the same time, cuts in 2025 at the Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Weather Service and other federal agencies have removed the backbone of funding, data and technical assistance many states relied on.
States lead the way
Summarizing ongoing preparedness and response efforts across states, Protecting Americans’ Health offers three pillars for action and shares concrete, replicable examples that emerge from the STAT Extreme Weather & Health Network:
- Collaboration. States like Minnesota and California are embedding public health voices in climate and infrastructure decisions, while North Carolina and Texas have demonstrated that shared frameworks like FEMA’s Community Lifelines can unite health, energy and emergency systems under one coordinated response. Partnerships break down silos and accelerate action.
- Data. In North Carolina, advanced modeling now informs heat alerts based on real-time health and climate data; Illinois is developing predictive tools that warn hospitals before storms hit; and Alaska’s Local Environment Observer Network turns community observations into early-warning intelligence. States are making data more interoperable, localized and actionable.
- Communication. Massachusetts amplified risk messaging on Triple E and West Nile via medical providers, community groups and local media. California is co-developing an interactive curriculum with community health workers on responding to poor air quality events. Kansas convenes a cross-sector Extreme Weather Events Work Group with community-based organizations to co-create practical toolkits. States are modernizing their communications capacity, building trusted messenger networks and moving past an over-focus on social media outreach.
The new report also includes case examples from states such as Oregon, Arizona and Texas that illustrate how housing insecurity, energy burden, medical dependence on electricity, and lack of access to timely, trusted information add additional burden for low-income, elderly and rural populations — and how systems-level interventions focused on energy resilience, targeted mitigation and partnerships with community-based organizations can save lives.
Insights from this report can serve as a pathway to building community resilience and protecting health from the impacts of extreme weather. Looking ahead, the STAT Network, the Federation of American Scientists and other collaborators look forward to working with state leaders and their partners to translate this roadmap into sustained progress.
The announcement comes ahead of the STAT Network’s participation in The Rockefeller Foundation and Heartland Forward’s “Big Bets for America” convening in Oklahoma City, where leaders across the public, private, and non-profit sectors will discuss opportunities to help communities flourish.
To learn more, download the full report here.
About the STAT Network
At a time of unprecedented disruption in the U.S. public health system, the STAT Network serves as a strategic, nonpartisan, practice-focused partner to the state public health workforce in all 50 states as well as three territories. Originally created as the State and Territory Alliance for Testing by The Rockefeller Foundation in 2020 to meet the urgent need for more state-to-state collaboration during the Covid-19 pandemic, the network convenes state health leaders across the country on a weekly basis to problem-solve ongoing threats, share best practices, and support one another. Learn more about STAT at https://sites.brown.edu/stat/
About the STAT Extreme Weather & Health sub-network and this report
The STAT Extreme Weather and Health Group was created in August 2024 and meets monthly. Over 480 state officials from public health, preparedness and related departments in 45 states and some countries have attended these sessions over the past year. Between May and July 2025, the Network also fielded a comprehensive Extreme Weather and Health survey, which yielded 136 responses (78% from state officials, 10% from local health officials, and 12% from federal, academic and other partners to state teams). Responses came from 34 states, with near equal participation across the political spectrum. The STAT team also met individually with state- and county-level teams in more than 25 states for in-depth conversations about ongoing response needs and innovations. Protecting Americans’ Health summarizes findings across overall network presentations and discussions, the dedicated state-level survey, and state-level interviews.
About FAS
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address urgent challenges. More information about our work at the intersection of climate change and health can be found at fas.org/initiative/climate-health.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance, including engaging through our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.
