Well here's an excerpt from the NASA website from back in 2005.
Weird? Much about the sun's activity cycle remains unknown, Hathaway points out. "X-ray observations of flares by NOAA's Earth-orbiting satellites began in 1975, and CMEs were discovered only a few years earlier by the 7th Orbiting Solar Observatory. Before the 1970s, our records are spotty."
This means we don't know what is typical. Scientists have monitored only three complete solar cycles using satellite technology. "It's risky to draw conclusions" from such a short span of data, he says.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/15sep_solarminexplodes.htmI think its safe to say that while solar activity is a definate danger to power grids and astronauts, we don't really know enough about it to really determine if what its doing now is an indication of impending disaster.