In some ways, everyone saw Ida coming, and no one saw Ida coming. On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio blamed weather projections for being inaccurate. Emergency declarations weren’t made until well after the storm hit the area with tornadoes and flash flooding.

But in truth, atmospheric scientists and weather forecasts had predicted between 10-14 inches of rain across much of the mid-Atlantic as early as Monday. So why was the tri-state caught off-guard?

For the answers, All Things Considered host Sean Carlson spoke with Dr. Andrew Kruczkiewicz from Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society. He is a senior research scientist who focuses on disaster preparedness and flooding. He says despite lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy and billions spent on resiliency projects, the region still isn’t coping well with climate change, the wrath of severe storms and the perpetual threats posed by flash floods.