Evangelicals, why is God's choice of available punishments apparently limited by proximity natural features?

Things like preexisting fault lines, locations of shorelines, and proximity to major rivers seems to have a huge effect on the available arsenal of punishments God has for those he wants to inflict suffering on. For those of you who claim earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and such are punishments from God, why does it appear exactly as if nature dictates to him what he is allowed to do, when he is allowed to do it, and where it can be done?