Erasing the evidence: United States climate rollbacks and the implications for public health
Jeremy W. Jacobs ,Shazia S. Khan
Published: July 16, 2025
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000667

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In recent months, the United States (U.S.) has witnessed an unprecedented contraction in its federal climate-health infrastructure. One of the most visible examples occurred in May 2025, when the U.S. government discontinued the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Billion-Dollar Disasters Database, a resource used by researchers, emergency planners, and policymakers to track high-cost weather events since 1980 [1]. The loss of this data platform is part of a broader suppression of climate data, defunding of research, and political rhetoric that marginalizes the health impacts of climate change [2].

The health effects of climate-driven disasters are well-documented. Heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes are associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease, infectious disease outbreaks, mental health crises, and traumatic injuries [3–6]. Disruptions to healthcare delivery, electricity, and clean water access compound these impacts. The elimination of tools designed to monitor and forecast these events directly impairs public health systems’ ability to prepare and respond.

Disproportionate harm falls on already vulnerable populations—children, the elderly, people with chronic conditions, and those of lower socioeconomic status [7–9]. Surveillance and early-warning systems are particularly vital to mitigating impacts on these groups. Without timely and localized data, responses become reactive rather than preventive—and health inequities deepen.

The dismantling of the NOAA database is one in a series of coordinated rollbacks. In early 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced one of the largest deregulatory actions in its history, which included curtailments in air quality monitoring, heat index surveillance, and disease-relevant climate metrics [10]. These reductions occurred alongside an executive order—Protecting American Energy from State Overreach—which limits the ability of states to enact independent climate policies that might constrain fossil fuel development [2]. In addition to hindering any potential state regulatory efforts aimed at mitigating the risk of climate change, this order also disincentivizes data-sharing and public health preparedness activities between federal and state governments, further weakening collaborative health preparedness.

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