Once you have good data, it simply becomes a "matter of good engineers being good engineers. They have good criteria to cleverly design systems that are more robust," says Daiger.

"We are observing changes in storms and temperatures," Wilbanks says. "It's becoming more and more real, not just scientific guesswork."

Superstorm Sandy provided all the evidence needed for many governments and companies to start considering adapting to climate change.

"Post-Sandy, there's a very strong desire to make sure future conditions are taken into account," says the Corps' White. The Corps, funded through the federal Sandy supplemental disaster-aid bill, is assessing all the infrastructure affected by Sandy and will identify potential adaptation measures.

New York City began taking steps to adapt to climate change before Sandy. After the superstorm, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) called for a "fundamental rethinking of our built environment" to ensure the state is more prepared for extreme weather events. Late last month, Hoboken, N.J., Mayor Dawn Zimmer (D), in her state-of-the-city address, called for engineering solutions, including floodwalls, additional pumps and the "greening" of the city to make it more resilient. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) has signed an executive order to increase Maryland's resiliency to flooding and sea-level rise, directing that all new and reconstructed infrastructure be planned and built to avoid or minimize future flood damage. New Jersey electric utility PSE&G said it plans to spend $3.9 billion to harden its electric-and-gas system.

Not all climate adaptation has to be pricey, nor does it have to be done overnight.

"It is a risk that we face over many decades," according to the Corps' Goran. "It's not a panic-button issue. How do we really bring climate-change considerations into the way we do business?"

Strategic asset management is one answer. Some planners are beginning to incorporate more robust infrastructure into regular replacement schedules—for example, specifying a 12-in. culvert instead of a 16–in. culvert to handle increased rainfall intensity and frequency.

"Ideally, adaptation can be integrated into other decision-making," says Joe Casola, program director of science and its impacts at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. He points to Louisiana as a good example of a state crafting an integrated portfolio for climate adaptation.

Wilbanks says that over 30 to 40 years, every category of normal infrastructure is going to be replaced. When infrastructure is scheduled to be replaced, it makes sense to upgrade it for climate change at that time, he says. Additionally, new infrastructure should be planned and built to withstand changing climates.

"Infrastructure is a long-lived asset and much less expensive to act in the design phase," says Neumann.