Strong Earthquake in California

Hmm... The punishment is not unlikely. At the end of XVIII there were many dialogues between philosophers about the Lisbon Earthquake (1755) when too many people died. Some philosophers like Voltaire said that it proved that there was no God, because many good people (Lisbon was Catholic) there. Well, Catholic doesn't mean the saint... However, the problem was discussed. Russo blamed Voltaire because of the style of Voltaire to be glad for unhappiness of foreign people.

I would say it is a sign for those who deny God to confess and stop moving in the wrong direction.