Acts of nature, like fire and floods can be made worse by human intervention of the wrong sort. Or the lack of the right kind of action.

For example, the effects of Hurricane Mitch, the terrible 1998 storm that stalled over Central America, were exacerbated by deforestation, which worsened landslides.

There were apparently similar human forces at work in the recent Mexican floods in Tabasco. Particularly corruption...

But even as water levels slowly receded this week, environmental activists, opposition politicians and others expressed frustration and anger that more was not done after the 1999 calamity to avoid a replay. They said that the present flooding was fueled by rampant overbuilding, deforestation and wetlands destruction, and the squandering of funds that should have been spent on flood-prevention measures. [Corruption blamed for Tabasco floods, Los Angeles Times 11/8/07]

But did our man in the White House respond with niggardly instincts as a result of negative reports?

Certainly not. He has already "pledged" $300,000 to his favorite people down south, and presumably there could be more assistance in the future.