Dear City Leaders,
As I write this, the Los Angeles area is still reeling from devastating fires stoked by roaring winds and dry vegetation. Meanwhile, cities from Florida’s Gulf Coast to North Carolina’s Appalachian highlands are rebuilding after Hurricane Milton’s historic flooding. Phoenix was scorched last year by 113 straight days above 100 degrees, what Mayor Kate Gallego called “a very tough summer for our community, particularly for those who are most vulnerable.” And in Montevideo, Uruguay, residents vividly remember when the city almost ran out of water in 2023.
I wish I could say all this extreme weather was something unusual, just a rare run of bad luck. It’s not. The science is clear that more powerful storms, intense heat waves, heavier rains and prolonged droughts are all part of a new normal that local leaders need to be ready for. In 2024, the U.S. alone saw 27 weather events causing damages of $1 billion or more, compared with an inflation-adjusted average of nine per year since 1980. The Inter-American Development Bank estimates that damage due to climate change may cost the Latin America and Caribbean region $100 billion a year by 2050. Behind the fiscal cost is the human toll of extreme weather: loved ones lost, homes destroyed, residents displaced, businesses and schools closed, public spaces demolished, all having a disproportionate impact on the elderly, people with disabilities, and residents living in poverty.
Predicting, preparing for, and recovering from extreme weather requires long-term planning, and investments in infrastructure and emergency response. New technologies, such as artificial intelligence, can also help local leaders act proactively and direct resources to where they are most needed. That can only happen, however, when AI is based on a strong data foundation and when there are clear standards around its use. That’s why the work we do together to build local governments’ data systems, governance frameworks, and staff skills is critical.
As city leaders across North, Central and South America look at how AI can bolster extreme weather preparedness in 2025, here are four things they should keep in mind:
- Put a data foundation in place. A robust, accurate and unbiased flow of data, propelled by a coordinated citywide response and strong data management, is the key to successfully using AI to tackle extreme weather.
- Tap into AI’s predictive power. Artificial intelligence excels at processing vast amounts of data to identify patterns and predict outcomes. For instance, AI can forecast flash floods by analyzing weather patterns, soil conditions and terrain. Local leaders can’t control the weather, but by making the most of what AI does best, they can help prevent extreme weather events from becoming deadly and destructive.
- Engage your community. AI is just one of many tools that can help create a more sustainable city that can better withstand and recover from weather-related emergencies. Input from residents, especially those impacted in underserved communities, is equally crucial–and their ideas and efforts can be part of the process to design a comprehensive climate resilience strategy, ensuring they have a voice in the approaches and tactics that will shape their neighborhoods.
- Evaluate what you’re doing. Regularly review your resiliency plan, and the technology you’re using to support it, to keep pace with rapid changes in climate. Assess your progress, learn from other cities and refine your program to strengthen preparedness across your city. Be transparent with your community, especially on the use of AI, to build public trust and gain more runway to experiment with this new technology.
Some pioneering cities are already putting strong data and AI to work to get smarter about how they handle extreme weather. After devastating floods in 2022, Gold-Certified Recife, Brazil, is using AI to protect residents in vulnerable neighborhoods and respond faster in emergencies. Thousands of miles away in Gold-Certified Austin, Texas, city leaders are using AI to predict wildfires. And Calgary, Canada, piloted a program to evaluate the impact planting trees could have in extreme heat situations. In Certified Norfolk, Virginia, machine learning helps predict which streets are vulnerable to flooding in heavy rainfall conditions, allowing city leaders to determine which routes will be safest for emergency vehicles in inclement weather. Similarly, Gold-Certified Buenos Aires has flood warning systems that give municipal leaders early notification to prepare for potential destruction.
Nearly ten years ago, the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities program was born — and we have been proudly Certifying data-driven, well-managed cities for the past seven years. During that time, technology and how cities respond to emergencies and natural disasters have evolved. What’s never changed are the two things necessary to make almost any new technology live up to its potential: good data and good people. It takes ambitious and collaborative city leaders combined with strong city data practices and policies to make technology a driver of sustainable solutions. In the face of more intense storms, more frequent wildfires and more heat waves, this recipe is critical to using AI as one tool to ensure that cities can be agile and resilient in the face of urgent climate threats–and beyond.
In 2025, let’s continue to learn from one another, share our strategies and successes, and take action to make city halls and our communities stronger. I – and the What Works Cities team – look forward to working alongside our city leaders every step of the way.
Sincerely,
Rochelle Haynes
What Works Cities Certification Managing Director