Divine Punishment Vs Disaster Today
It is said here in the Quran: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا We never punish [any nation] unless We send a messenger [so that he is able to conclusively communicate the truth to it before being punished.] (17: 15) However, if a nation crosses a certain limit of transgression in terms of morals, it is destroyed too. This can happen even today. This is technicaly called Halakat, not Azab in Quran. See the following verse: وَإِن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ۚ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًا ‎ [They should not go about hastening the punishment. In reality,] there is not a city that We shall not destroy before the Day of Judgement or not inflict with a severe punishment. This is written in the register of God.