This first episode looks at how avalanches can engulf entire towns and cripple major cities. The raw power of snow and ice is put to the test in a state-of-the-art climate chamber by avalanche experts, showing how the smallest changes to snow and ice crystals can lead to catastrophic destruction.

Tornadoes and hurricanes may hit closer to home as opposed to other natural disasters in recent years, as the U.S. Midwest has been ravaged by twisters while the Gulf Coast has experienced the most destructive and costly hurricanes in U.S. history. To test the effect of wind on humans, host Ben Fogle visits a specialised climate chamber to recreate the effect of wind at up to 190 km/h.

Swallowing entire regions and crippling the bravest souls with fear, floods are put to the test. From the shock and awe of flash floods, to the fearsome power of storm surges, as well as the vast destruction of tsunamis. Host and adventurer Ben Fogle is washed away in a car, swept off his feet and trapped by rising water in man-made experiments

Without warning, the earth can quiver, destroying towns and leaving entire regions crippled. Earthquakes are impossible to accurately predict, leaving millions across the world unaware of the destruction they could potentially face. Host and adventurer Ben Fogle teams up with earthquake expert Reggie Des Roches to examine three recent earthquakes: Haiti, Italy and Japan.