1 We may be falling off in terms of scientific papers, but the media and politicians are not only still in full hue and cry, they are increasing in both quantity and in degree of hyperbole. The shrillness and nonsense increases at an ever faster pace. We should be very concerned, because the harm inflicted by this hysteria is not caused by scientists, it is caused by media hacks and by politicians.

2  The hysteria should be in high gear with not only the thousand year rain in Indiana but what is happening in China. First came drought with massive dust storms. Then came 2 typhoons  that took the same path. The second dumped 18 inches of rain in 24 hrs. Reservoirs had to dump water to keep from over flowing and they failed to warn people downstream. 1.7 million people are said to be homeless. Crops are underwater,landslides and flash floods are compounding the destruction. The videos  of Chinas floods match those in Indiana in intensity. 

3   You are right Bill; they grow shriller as the number of papers drop off. That is a GOOD sign; like the Devil, the come with great anger because they know their time is short.
But it's an amazing thing to witness. And they are going to really ramp this up in the coming year since we are going to have this so-called Super El Nino.
What I find interesting is that they never speak the obvious; Jesus Himself spoke of "wars and rumors of wars and famines and pestilence and earthquakes in diverse places" which would include storms and other weather phenomena. But it can't be THAT - it has to be because of Industrial activity and the solution is to reduce production and thus condemn much of the globe to poverty and hunger and want.
Mike yes, this is a big El Nino and sadly few nations are ready for such things because they spent too much time trying to restore a state of nature and in a state of nature large weather events become catastrophe's. Tear down a levee and you flood the whole country when big rains hit.