I do not have ruach hakodesh, and can’t know for certain, but to me – IMHO – it seems obvious that the lesson (at least one of them) is we are too connected to our gashmius (I also struggle with this and all the things I want or feel I NEED to buy). I’m surprised I haven’t seen more pple talking about this. Here, Hash-m sends this crazy storm “close to home” so klal yisroel should really feel it – which ruins the gashmius (homes and therefore people’s “stuff”, cars, businesses etc) of so many people and in an area with a concentration of yidden. So while this is only my theory perhaps either 1) we are supposed to be getting a mussar about “stop being so into gashmius” and all the stuff (I also) want to have.
OR (more likely in my opinion – hopefully ->) 2) Hash-m is trying to teach us the hard way that we need to let go of our connection to all our stuff as a means of getting us ready for Mashiach who be”H is very close (that’s not me, gedolim and the Chofetz Chaim in dreams says that will be very soon be”H we should be zocheh….) to bringing us to a state of the world that will be kulo ruchniyus…