"We really have to wake up and get serious about tackling this issue, particularly reducing our energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

The fossil fuel divestment movement, which started in the 2000s, has become a mainstay of activism on college campuses.

"Unfortunately, in many countries where people do not have normal access to safe drinking water," what is not lacking "is the supply of weapons and ammunition, which continue to deteriorate the situation," the pope said in a message published Nov. 8.

"It's a struggle. You feel frustrated because our local government seems to care more about the tourism industry than the hard-working people."

Much like New Orleans’ Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina, the low-income neighborhoods east of Panama City, where St. Dominic is located, were especially hard-hit by the storm. Now residents here are desperate for help.

Human-driven climate change is intensifying tropical cyclones across the globe, climatologists say, but the role it played in the tragedy at Mexico Beach is both subtle and surprising.