In New Zealand on Christmas Eve of 1953, the worst rail disaster in that country's history was caused by lahars, mudflows formed by a lethal combination of water and volcanic debris. Lahars were also responsible for much of the destruction when Mount Saint Helens in Washington erupted in 1980. In this program, volcanologists explain why its neighbor, Mount Ranier, may be next. In the Philippines, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 coincided with the annual typhoons, creating massive lahars that decimated the surrounding area for months. Survivors who lost loved ones in the disaster recount their terrifying ordeal.
Most people think of hurricanes as the biggest storms on Earth.
Meteorologists give them names and track their destructive paths on the news. This program opens in Florida, where, in 1993, an extratropical cyclone began a reign of terror that destroyed lives all along the East Coast. More people died in this storm than in Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo combined. A U.S. Coast Guard pilot and the fisherman he saved relive a daring helicopter rescue. Further north, a record snowfall brought the entire Appalachian region to a standstill.