Aug. 23--WILLIAMSBURG -- Global climate change over the next 20 years will cause intense droughts in the Southwest, floods in the Northeast threatening the coastline and urban areas, and significant storm damage along the Gulf Coast, a panel of Southern governors was told yesterday.

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Richard Engel, director of the Climate Change and State Stability program of the National Intelligence Council, told the governors that the changes could also affect U.S. national-security interests -- aggravating poverty, degrading the environment and destabilizing fragile government regimes of nations around the world.

He said that although the U.S. will be "less affected and better equipped than the vast majority of nations to deal with climate change," it will still face challenges. Engel said these range from the costs to control emissions and respond to emergencies, to safeguarding against the potential for terrorists to "obtain and utilize" nuclear material and expertise that will increase as more countries pursue nuclear power as an energy source.

The sobering assessment, accompanied by a presentation on energy and climate security from former U.S. Sen. John W. Warner, R-Va., kicked off the Southern Governors' Association's annual meeting at the Kingsmill Resort & Spa near Williamsburg.

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is the outgoing chairman of the association, which has 16 states and two territories as members, ranging geographically from Puerto Rico to Maryland to Florida, and west to Texas.

Eleven chief executives showed up for this year's conference, which is traditionally held in the summer at a five-star resort. Financed by state dues and corporations, it is equal parts policy conference and expenses-paid junket for governors' families and top staff.

Northrop Grumman Corp., the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Altria Group Inc., Dominion Resources Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp., Capital One Financial Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. were among the 70 industry groups that bankrolled half the costs of this year's meeting, attended by roughly 400 people.

Notably absent was Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, recently embroiled in a sex scandal with an Argentine woman.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who was to succeed Kaine as chairman of the SGA next year, also opted out, having announced this year that he will run for the U.S. Senate. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a rising star in the Republican Party rumored to be mulling a run for president in 2012, also did not attend.

Kaine's theme for this year's meeting was climate change, energy and the environment.