Who Knew?

My 8 -year-old came in to my room a while ago to ask me why God is allowing Hurricane Katrina to hit Louisiana if He promised Noach to never bring another flood on the Earth. I explained to her that God promised that he would never bring another flood on the whole Earth, but that a smaller flood like the one that Hurricane Katrina is being predicted to cause is not what God meant when He showed Noach the rainbow. She then asked me why God would want to bring even a small flood on us, and risk killing people. I told her we can't know why Hashem does what he does, but we can only daven (pray) that He spares the people living near the hurricane zone.

A little while later, I was perusing JRants, and realized that I gave my daughter an incorrect answer. According to both R' Lazer Brody, and Sultan Knish, the cause for the huge Category 5 hurricane that is bearing down on New Orleans is... the disengagement. That's right, folks, the pullout from the Gaza Strip that took place last week is the source of Hurricane Katrina. From R' Brody's blog:

Katrina is hitting just as the bulldozers are completing the destruction of Gush Katif. The Talmud teaches that Hashem administers the world according to the "ATFAT" principle, in other words, "a turn for a turn". My heart tells me that there's a link between the forced expulsion of 8500 people from their blood, sweat, and tear-soaked homes in Israeli Gaza and between the nearly 850,000 people who are forced to flee from their homes in Louisiana. Sharon, at the prodding of the American government, has destroyed hallowed centers of prayer, Torah learning, and settlement in the Land of Israel. Hashem isn't wasting much time in showing His wrath. In fact, Katrina has chosen Ms. Rice's home state as a target; I humbly believe that the unfortunate people of Louisiana can blame Mr. Bush and Ms. Rice for their misfortune. This is a classic ATFAT situation: He who creates exiles in the Holy Land, will have a hundred-fold exiles in his own land.

Don't forget to read the whole post for a particularly... creative Gematria.
Sultan Knish has a similar take:

What does a hurricane have to do with God or Gaza? Read on and you might see a strong connection.
Right now a category 5 hurricane is headed for the Gulf states. Is there a connection?

The "Sultan" goes through a list of historical events in which Jews have been oppressed, and ends with a history of the Mideast "Road Map". The final event he lists:

2005 The United States pressured Israel to follow the "road map" and give up the Gaza strip. This went into effect August 15, 2005.

...The U.S. has had economic trouble and seems to be on an upturn. However, I, just from the records above, say that the U.S. economy is headed for the pits. There will be blame thrown right and left and economic and political talk, but the Bible and history tell us the real reason.
May God have mercy on the U.S.
I think that we need to begin to see events on the world scene in a new light.
Its not really a new light: the hand of God in world affairs.

Now, excuse me, while I go clear things up with my daughter.