While planet Earth sustains life, it also harbors forces that can instantly destroy us. Savage Planet examines the stunning beauty and deadly power of our remarkable world. Through eyewitness accounts, scientific investigations and unprecedented footage, viewers will be sent into the eye of the storm and on the trail of volcanoes, avalanches, meteors, lightning and much more.
Deadly Skies
Strange and deadly powers reside in Earth's atmosphere, killer lighting bolts appear out of nowhere, hail comes just as suddenly, and rocks from space rewrite the landscape. This episode includes: a supercell thunderstorm, in Sydney, Australia; two glider pilots blown out of the sky by a sizzling lighting bolt; scientists who shoot rockets into storms to force lighting strikes; and the search for space debris.
Extremes
Two contrasting worlds of fire and ice - rugged, high snow-capped mountains in the depths of winter, and Death Valley, the hottest, driest place in North America - are some of the harshest environments on Earth. This episode includes: deadly avalanches in Utah, Washington and France; mysterious sliding rocks at Death Valley's Racetrack Playa; and people who risk their lives to work and play in the extremes.
Volcanic Killers
The immediate dangers of active volcanoes are well known, but there are hidden dangers as well. Volcanoes in combination with water power a pose a special kind of lethal threat. This episode includes: an exploding lake in Nyos, West Africa, that sends deadly gases into the valley below, killing 1,700; volcanic debris that mixes with water to create lahars responsible for countless deaths in the Philippines, and more.
Storms Of The Century
Most people think of hurricanes as the biggest storms on Earth, but extra-tropical cyclones can grow even bigger. This episode includes: a cyclone that hit the east coast of North America in 1993, killing more people than hurricanes Andrew and Hugo combined; the dramatic rescue attempt of a large bulk carrier foundering in massive waves off the coast of Nova Scotia; and the nearly forgotten storm of 1953, that swallowed men, women and children from the ferry Princess Victoria.
