Prayer perhaps?
Both.
I'm not discounting the power of prayer, but as my grandmother used to say "God put the barrier islands along the coast for a reason!"
Here on the southeast coast, the barrier islands often take the brunt of the storm. That's why they are called barrier islands. Hilton Head Island, Kiawah Island, St. Simon's Island, and Sea Island have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. But since they make beautiful vacation spots they've been widely developed, and now when a 'cane comes our way you can count on property damage and major evacuations.