“...and right now California is suffering through the worst stretch of drought on record”
OR
“According to National Geographic, the scientific experts that have studied these things tell us that it has been quite common throughout history for that region of North America to suffer through extended droughts that last for a decade or more.”
I would expect that Mr. Snyder was fully aware he used both sides of the coin in his article.
Different kind of records.
One is people keeping records the other is the geological record.