1938 hit further east but you are correct, it was stronger. Hazel (1954) was stronger too (holds the record for highest winds in NYC). Both storms spared NYC of a surge (1938 too far east and Hazel too far west). Sandy’s surge was mostly bad luck.
Saying nothing about global warming here, as I find it irrelevant- heck, a couple of people I know from the area are named after hurricanes which hit in the 1950s and 1960s.
This area is no stranger to hurricanes - the south has no claim to them.
Respectfully, guys, high winds are an important component of stregnth of a storm, but they are not the whole picture. Tides and storm surge, area covered, legnth of time over affected area, and water and rain damage.
Actually, one should imagine if this had hit in a time like 1938 with no forecasting how many would have been killed.
Entire towns along the coast were evacuated and just now becoming inhabitable.
Also, the 1938 Hurricane had higher barometric pressure readings than did Sandy.
So, no.