Surely they are, in the sense of ultimate cause. But not necessarily, in the sense of proximate cause. It appears that God used these events as judgments at times.

The Bible describes a “fall” of humanity into sin, which affected all of creation-human life, ecology, language, everything. In a sinless world, weather patterns might still be unpredictable, but food supply would not be cut off as a result of dry spells. The Fall and the collective effects of sin introduced the possibility of ecological and meteorological disaster, as much as any other kind of problem.

But no one should take sin’s influence as an excuse for doing nothing scientifically to fix the proximate cause of famine or drought. Where soil depletion creates dust bowls, strong action can replenish soil fertility. Our task is to fight sin’s influence on several fronts-by prayer first, then the use of spiritual gifts, then the gifts of human reason and practical acumen, nurturing the environment, and taking dominion of creation, as God originally instructed (Gen 1:28).

2 CHRONICLES 6:26 – When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;