I came back here to see if anyone had read my post.
Regarding your questions, Russ:
The concept that bad things happen to good people is dealt with extensively in teachings of Judaism.
In this case, the previous guest explained that G-d has allowed many righteous people to sin unwittingly, and the proper personal response of one who was directly affected.
This is different than a holocaust, where innocent people suffer unspeakable horrors. Any person who went through the Holocaust is free to do an internal private reckoning, of why they may have been due any sort of suffering. However, when others suffer, the rest of us are only supposed to do our utmost to relieve their suffering.
The bottom line is that a situation that affects a community, does, and should require a broader form of internal reckoning.
All "disasters" are supposed to awaken us, from our complacency. Including disasters that happen to others. In reaction to the Tsunami along the Asian coast, many Rabbinic leaders called publicly for all Jews to introspect, and to improve their service to G-d. This means being far more careful to follow Torah laws that are between man and G-d (e.g. making blessings; eating kosher)as well as G-d's laws that are between man and his fellow man (e.g. honesty in business; not taking revenge).
Sometimes in fact, suffering is not a punishment, but rather a means toward a positive end. (analogical to a surgical procedure that saves a life.) Any suffering (not self inflicted) that a person experiences in this world wipes away countless "debts" that the soul may owe in the next world, which is eternal.
In addition, those righteous people who live on an entirely different plain than most of us, yearn to increase their closeness to the Creator. G-d may offer painful situations as a test for such people, so that they can in fact draw even closer in their unwavering faith, and continued adherence to the Torah, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
The bottom line is, we do not know. But we have plenty of food for thought, and inspiration for improvement.

For further questions, I recommend that you google the concept of punishment and reward, as well as suffering, according to traditional Torah Judaism.