In a New York Times article, reporter Cara Buckley described the influx of rats inland from the New York City shoreline following the flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy (2013). Buckley interviewed pestcontrol expert Timothy Wong, who noted that rat infestations could lead to citations for buildings that do not address the problem; yet, she reported, violations had decreased across the city in the wake of the hurricane—just 1996 violations versus 2750 for the same time period a year before. Why? Buckley explained: “After Hurricane Sandy, as of Nov. 1, the Health Department said it stopped issuing violations for rodents in Zone A,” the parts of New York City most vulnerable to flooding. 

a. If you were to create a monthly average of rat violations over the course of the year before and after Hurricane Sandy, why would you not be able to make comparisons? 

b. Explain how the removal of Zone A violations led both to the removal of an outlier and to inaccurate data.