“God of the heavens, nature and all that You have created, are truly awesome. Often we take these wonders for granted. We stand in awe and fear in the face of the power of creation. Teach us to acknowledge your works and cherish your gifts.
Try as we might, we know that we cannot control the oceans, the mountains, the weather. We also firmly believe that ever since the time of Noah, You do not send floods, make the earth shake, or dispatch weather formations, such as hurricanes, as warnings or punishments.
So we ask, as this hurricane approaches Florida, and leaves a wake of devastation in the Caribbean, as it approaches our brothers and sisters, and we ourselves, we ask that You shelter all who will be in its path. Watch over everyone, their loved ones, friends, and fellow people, many of whom are evacuating. Guard them as they prepare, perhaps to leave their homes again. Give them strength, courage, and resolve to ride out this storm; answer their prayers and ours that they be blessed with goodness and be spared from harm. Amen”
– Rabbi Fred Guttman (adapted)