What's more expensive than a hurricane? Nuclear weapons.

There's no doubt: Hurricane Sandy has left her mark. The damage the storm left to basic infrastructure on the East Coast will take billions of dollars and months (if not years) to repair. But, hurricane damage costs pale in comparison to the spending our country is already planning to dole out to America's nuclear weapons and related programs. 

In fact, NPR's Planet Money estimate of the damage from the nation's ten most expensive storms over the past 50 years comes to less than half the cost of the US nuclear weapons budget over the next ten. Sadly, that includes spending to prevent a nuclear disaster (which, as we all know, would be even more destructive than a hurricane.) 

In an age where nuclear weapons have decreasing relevance, it's hard to believe that this is the best use of America's taxpayer dollars. 

Hat tip to Early Warning guest editor and ASP Policy Analyst Mary Kaszynski for spotting this fact.