Interesting article. I think Sandy was so bad because folks in that area are not used to hurricanes. I was a kid when hurricane Donna came through and shook things up in NJ. I missed hurricane Agnes in 1972 because I was a guest of my uncle on the far side of the world that year. Also, the hurricane was forecast as a category 1, which I think lulled some into a false sense of security. We have come to think of category 4 or 5 as the bad ones, like Katrina. Hurricane Irene was only a cat 1, but it kicked us around pretty good because it stalled in our area. Sandy was a slow-mover too, with high tidal conditions coinciding with landfall in the NY-NJ area. Only those with long memories or recent experience realized what they could be up against.