If it weren't for all the meteorologists and scientists who explain away everything from earthquakes to meteors as being simply part of evolution, global warming or some other geological coincidence and actually brought God into their deductions, I think that people would have an entirely different idea about why these things occur with seemingly increasing frequency.
As it is, the entire world has been conditioned to think all these things are "just a part of nature" without the thought of God playing a part in weather and other "natural" disasters ever entering their mind - - -until it happens to them of course, then the shouts of "Oh my God" and "why did God let this happen" and etc. abound.
As for the meteors, who knows? Could be there were 10 just men in need of conversion - perhaps experiencing a giant fireball being hurled toward them was what they needed to wake them up- who knows?
As for preparing for the end of the world or the Three Days of Darkness goes - forget it IMO. No one knows when it will come. Best to do everything you can for yourself and to raise your children in the true faith, teach them to embrace their interior life and for us all to stay in sanctifying grace - then let the cards fall where they may!
As a teen, I remember when the revolution of the NO was in it's infancy and how so many faithful to tradition Catholics were literally scared out of their wits by what they were witnessing. No joke, many thought the wrath of God was about to befall the world at any moment *at that time*- literally.
A lot of people stocked up on rice, crackers, soap, jugs of water, blankets, candles, batteries and on and on ad nausem preparing for the Three Days of Darkness or the government or the commies take over -or- whatever God's wrath was planning to send. Many moved out of their houses in cities and suburbs and moved to the country or mountains - I could go on and on but I think you get the picture - the shock of what was happening to the Church along with the war in Vietnam, protests, riots, rock and roll, sex, drugs, NO clergy laughing it all off, faithful clergy getting kicked out or leaving to get married and on and on and on - - these things were viewed, literally, as: "God will not allow this to go on for much longer, we must prepare" and "the end is surely near etc".......................here we are 40 years later and not one thing has gotten better, only exponentially worse, but so many have been conditioned to seeing evil as being business as usual that the impact to their conscience is either nonexistent or they are indifferent - which of course, only adds to God's displeasure continually................so IMO, we should expect to keep seeing "100 year storms", multi billion dollar disasters and other such "natural" occurrences for the foreseeable future, but the end of the world or the Three Days of Darkness? - I personally don't think so. It's bound to get much worse before then.