The Deadly Effects of Science Denial

Public Health's Essential Role in Weather Emergency Response: The Critical Need for Adequate Funding and Political Support

When hurricanes barrel toward coastlines, heat waves scorch urban centers, or blizzards paralyze communities, public health agencies serve as the backbone of community resilience, tasked with protecting population health before, during, and after weather emergencies. Yet their effectiveness hinges entirely on political will and adequate funding—resources that are critically compromised when elected leaders like Texas Governor Greg Abbott prioritize political theater over life-saving infrastructure investments.

The Republican Party's official platform denial of climate change creates a fundamental disconnect between intensifying weather threats and diminishing preparedness capacity. This deadly prioritization became tragically apparent during the July 4, 2025 weekend flooding in central Texas, where at least 82 people, including 28 children, died despite advance warnings—deaths that could have been prevented if Governor Abbott had invested in flood warning systems instead of mandating B…