Perfect Storms

On November 1, 1755, the predominantly Catholic city of Lisbon, Portugal was walloped by a catastrophe of biblical proportions on one of its most religious holidays. A combination of earthquake, tsunami, and firestorm devastated the city on All Saint's Day, turning churches into deathtraps and transforming the streets of Lisbon into a hellish landscape. Experience the catastrophe firsthand as we recreate the disaster through the eyes of one of its survivors and reveal how this event brought an empire to its knees and shook its belief in God.

In the middle of the 6th century, the greatest volcanic catastrophe in human history rocked Central America and set off a lethal chain of events, from climate change to famine to the Bubonic plague. How could one volcano have such a cataclysmic effect? Follow experts in environmental hazards and historians as they investigate the eruption that smothered the planet with billions of tons of ash and witness what this history-shattering event was like for the unfortunate civilizations that were hit by this perfect storm.

In 1900, Galveston, Texas was rocked by a hurricane that killed more people than all other storms to strike the U.S. for the next century combined. Anywhere from 6,000-12,000 were killed in a deadly collision of natural forces caused by an official's mistaken belief that a storm of such magnitude could never strike his city. Relive the catastrophic events when the jewel in the crown of Texas was obliterated, and see how the lessons learned from that catastrophe helped Galveston properly prepare for Hurricane Ike 108 years later.

September 1, 1923. Japan is hit by its worst earthquake ever, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale. Within seconds, the cities of Tokyo and Yokohama are leveled, but their troubles are only beginning. Relive the Great Kanto Earthquake, a perfect storm of catastrophic events, including a landslide, a firestorm and a monstrous force of nature called a "dragon twist," a tornado of fire that would help claim 140,000 lives in just minutes. Then see how this disaster shaped the destiny of a nation and changed the course of the 20th century.

The year is 9 A.D., and Rome is attempting to add Germania to its mighty empire, but they're up against two powerful forces, a well-trained army of barbarians and a cyclonic storm of unfathomable fury. Enter the dark Teutoburg Forest, where three Roman legions, 16,000 men strong, fell victim to treacherous terrain, guerilla tactics, and a violent monsoon. This catastrophic defeat would deplete Rome of most of its army, create a boundary between Latin and Germanic Europe that exists to this day, and change the course of history.

It's December 1941, two months into Operation Typhoon, Hitler's all-out attack on Russia. To this point, the Nazi's appear unstoppable. The Soviets are on the verge of collapse when a surprising ally comes to their aid: "rasputitsa", or mud season. See how heavy rains followed by a brutal Russian winter slowed the German attack to a muddy crawl, greatly impacting the Battle of Moscow and perhaps the outcome of World War II.