Are there a spiritual causes for extreme events in the world, such as natural catastrophes?

Now for a new series of posts, which I would like to call Raza d’Mehemnuta (“The Secret of Faith”). May it help bring each one of you ‘from strength to strength’ in your avodat Hashem, selah.

The Hashgachah Pratit acts constantly in the world. The decrees of G-d balance men’s transgressions midah keneged midah. Note that the devastation which led almost 8.500 from being forcefully removed from Gaza, in Eretz Israel (which is holy land and thus, it is not to be “returned” to anyone), reflect Heaven’s punitive decree multiplied 100 times, as it shall be explained, over those who supported this secular movement of dilution and removal of Jewish right to settle in this area of Israel, to wit, the United States of America. This occurred in the (recent) deluge - estimated of having affected 850,000 people – called קטרינה (Katrina). Now, this word has gematria of 374. There are two pasukim in the Torah that share this same exact number:  Raa gemalucha, “They did to you evil” (Bereshit 50:17), and Yam bayabasha, “ground through the midst of the sea” (Shemot 14:16). While the first pasuk seems to indicate the spiritual cause for the Katrina (i.e., in relation to those who supported this terrible movement in Israel), the second pasuk describes the actual physical manifestation of the deluge. Ribono Shel Olam!