Mike Huckabee says hyperbolic climate change activists may be to blame for why some New Orleans resident ignored warnings to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina.

"As governor one of the worst things I had to deal with was natural disasters, not just preparing for the destruction from the violent weather but also convincing people to take the threat seriously and get out of the path of danger," the former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate said on his podcast this week. "I understand the natural impulse to stay and defend your home, but you can't fight a flood. The people of New Orleans had plenty of warnings to evacuate because Hurricane Katrina might land a direct hit, but many choose to stay anyway."

"I can't help thinking, one reason they ignored warnings of dangerous weather from real experts is that they've heard from so many self-proclaimed experts who were exaggerating to advance their own agendas," Huckabee continued. "If they didn't learn in kindergarten that it's bad to cry wolf, you'd think at least they'd know that with great power comes great responsibility. That they could have learned from reading Spiderman comics."

Earlier in the interview, Huckabee compared climate change activists to the Jim Jones cult.

During his first presidential campaign in 2008, Huckabee called climate change "a moral issue" and advocated for a cap and trade system.