Wildfires in Portland and California are just part of the story of deadly fires
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Browse the full episode guide for Desperate Hours.
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Earthquakes
From Kathmandu to Port-au-Prince, quakes in Nepal, China, Chile, Haiti and Pakistan cause massive damage.
Epidemics
True stories of the deadliest epidemics before the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis
Wild Winds
Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar reveal the destructive power of wind.
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Fires
Wildfires in Portland and California are just part of the story of deadly fires
Floods
See the most devastating floods in history, from Rio to Louisiana to Hamburg
Geo Disasters
See geological disasters from landslides to avalanches to insane sinkholes
Nuclear and Industrial Disasters
The real stories of the Chernobyl and Fukushima Nuclear Plant meltdowns
Disasters at Sea
High seas disasters including the Costa Concordia, the Exxon Valdez and the Titanic
Road and Train Accidents
An oil truck crash in Nigeria kills 96 people, while train wrecks in Spain and Sri Lanka leave destruction.
Environmental Disasters
Oil spills, air pollution, landfills and the Pacific Garbage Patch harm life on land, at sea and in the air.
Best of Desperate Hours
See the worst disasters in the world, from natural to industrial to nuclear
About Desperate Hours
Disaster: A sudden calamitous event, causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship, like a flood, a tornado, an airplane crash, or an earthquake. This is not only a documentary but a live account of dramatic events in real time. In this unique 13-part series you'll be an eyewitness to some of the greatest disasters of the last 100 years and you will have a rare opportunity to compare disasters across time and distance and decide which you think is the worst.
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