Why Do Bad Things Happen?

"Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?  Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?"  Psalm 10:1 (NASB)
If there's a loving God, why do so many bad things happen?  There's no pat answer, especially for calamities beyond our control such as a hurricane.  Unfortunately, however, humanity has a vicious habit of ignoring God's rules for living and then blaming Him once we've caused our own personal (and avoidable) catastrophes.
"God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"  Genesis 1:28 (NASB)
God made everything good and put us in charge of it.  How are you managing the life He gave you?  Are you nurturing your own body, mind, and spirit?  Are you providing for your family's mental, physical, and spiritual health?  Are you reaching out to victims of natural disasters, chronic illness, and various forms of abuse?  What are you doing to prevent bad things happening?
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Maybe something bad happened because of poor choices.  Ask God's forgiveness, turn around, and ask Him to show you a better way.  And when tragedy comes out of nowhere, keep trusting Him, take available assistance when you need it, and watch for opportunities to offer help to someone else.  Maybe we'll never know why, but maybe we don't need answers, maybe we just need to put grace and mercy into practice.