Sam Klein: They have always been having such storms along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The indigenous peoples (the Indians) didn’t build their communities along the coasts. The Europeans didn’t get the message, and it seems that building in areas likely to be flooded is a minhag – encouraged by the Federal government. Less of Ha-Shem being mad, as the goyim being dumb.
The wildfires have long been present in California, and were noted by the first Europeans to visit the region. The Californians for some reason like to build in areas that are likely to engulfed by wildfires. While such areas are good for camping, or forest related businesses – they really should not be “zoned” for permanent settlement. Construction in earthquakes in another trait (though the Israelis do so as well).
Of course one could say Ha-Shem makes the goyim stupid as an act of Hessed to the Yidden (to make it harder for the goyim to kill us).