Yesterday, the Hill reported comments from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano suggesting the possibility of a link between abnormal weather patterns over the past few years, and climate change. According to the Secretary:

You have to look at climate change over a period of years, not just one summer…You could always have one abnormal summer. But when you see one after another after another then you can see, yeah, there’s a pattern here.

Secretary Napolitano also went on to say that the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is incorporating climate risk into its planning. Though FEMA’s 2011 National Preparedness Goal, and subsequent Draft National Frameworks, did not include climate change considerations, it is encouraging to hear that climate risk and preparedness is being taken seriously by the DHS leadership.