In 2041, a small asteroid crashed into South Pacific-Indian Ocean area. The asteroid was just large enough to do massive damage but not large enough enough to be a planet killer. It caused massive death and destruction to the Asian subcontinent and disrupted the weather patterns on a global scale for several years. These weather disruptions had a devastating effect on many animals worldwide. There was a massive wave of refugees of all kinds away from the devastated areas. Many ended up on the west coast of North America. Other parts of Asia became 'super-concentrated' with people--due to all the refugees moving about.