This is the story of a hurricanePlanet Earth is attacked by the very entities charged with its protection. Human beings are systematically destroying the planet and remaining deaf to its warnings, which have so far been relatively subtle. When temperatures rise by a fraction of a degree or annual precipitation increases by an inch or two, these changes may be imperceptible. However, when these small changes accumulate over several years, they can lead to rare natural disasters in certain geographic areas. Ocean temperatures have been rising for years. These temperature changes have the potential to irrevocably alter weather patterns around the world. In August 2011, Hurricane Irene gave much of the eastern seaboard of the United States a taste of what changes in global weather patterns can have. The hurricane showed many communities how underprepared and ill-equipped they were to deal with such a storm, and it served as a wake-up call to the human race to take better care of the planet. A case study of these accomplishments can be seen through the lens of severe weather events at the Humane Society of Ocean City. The Humane Society of Ocean City is a small animal shelter that takes in homeless cats and dogs and adopts them into new permanent homes. The shelter also serves as a sanctuary for a resident population of fifty-eight cats suffering from various disabilities or chronic illnesses. The main shelter building sits along the bay that separates Ocean City from the mainland. Ocean City, New Jersey is located on a barrier island off the coast of Cape May County, New Jersey. The city has always been famous for its citywide restrictions on alcohol sales and its family-friendly atmosphere...... middle of paper ...... its patterns are changing across the world, this will be much more than just Ocean City and an animal shelter dealing with the effects. The planet's warning calls must be heeded, otherwise all of humanity could face similar disruptions. Crops will die or need to be moved to new locations, wildlife populations will perish, buildings will collapse, and natural resources will become unavailable. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, or all at once, but future generations of humans will have to deal with a problem that their ancestors were too lazy and stubborn to solve. Rather than ignoring the cries of the planet, the world's population must work together to ensure that every possible step is taken to reverse the trend it has created. Choosing to ignore this crisis any longer could cause the entire world to collapse in a figurative and literal tidal wave..