Is it God's judgement?

It has been argued that Hurricane Katrina striking New Orleans was God's punishment. New Orleans, to some people, can be known as a city of sin. Mardi Gras takes place there and some inhabitants also practice voodoo, both activities being not very Christian-like. Franklin Graham, on the other hand, believes it was a chance for God to start over and have a spiritual rebirth in the previously sinful New Orleans. Graham looked past the devistation of the hurricane toward what he believes can come from it. He thinks that New Orleans will now be stronger and good will come out of it.

The feelings toward this event can date back to the outbreak of the bubonic plague, also known as Black Death, in the mid 1300s. Killing one third of the population, people began to blame God. Being very religious at the time, the most sensible explanation was that it was a punishment from God. Some of the highly religious inhabitants of New Orleans may be looking at the destruction of Hurrican Katrina with that same excuse.