Anthropogenic influence, merely?

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the author, a Nobel laureate argues that "preventive" collective action is needed to mitigate the impact of climate change. I believe, disasters are a way of nature balancing itself and they happen regardless of the existence of man on Earth. While there is every need to check global warming and reduce (or optimise) the anthropogenic influence for a better planet, I cannot buy this argument that disasters like these are preventable or even that they can be controlled (in an "intended" way!).