BEN GARRETT: Sandy And The “New Norm.” “We were told after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that this was the ‘new norm.’ Then we went seven quiet years — some of which featured abnormally calm Atlantic Basin hurricane seasons and some of which featured average numbers of storms but those storms stayed safely away from the U.S.) and heard little talk of global warming in connection with tropical weather. Now we have a perfect storm of sorts slamming the East Coast and this is the new norm.” It’s not climate, it’s just weather — unless, you know, it’s the right kind of weather. Then it’s climate!

Er, except for this: “When were hurricanes most frequent around New York and New England in the 20th Century? The 1950s. In fact, there were 10 — look ‘em up — major hurricanes to strike the East Coast between North Carolina and New England between 1954 and 1960.”