Extreme Weather Trends, Climate Science, and Public Opinion

The social, physical and economic devastation of Hurricane Sandy will be felt for many weeks and months to come. Sandy brought record precipitation and storm surge to the U.S. East Coast; more than 8 million households lost power and over 100 fatalities were reported. The latest estimates of economic losses range from $30 to $50 billion (Eqecat, IHS Global Insight).

In light of the storm’s impacts, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated “Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world m