Deadly Hurricanes & Typhoons | Gathering Storm MEGA Episode | National Geographic

MAN: Oh yeah, Crico, let's just fish in middle of a hurricane! (laugh) We might be in the middle of a waterspout! I'm gonna die! (thunder and lightning) CARL: Well, hello. NARRATOR: Off the coast of Texas, veteran captain Carl Roby, on board the fishing boat Cynthia Renee, is hauling his first catch of the day. The Cynthia Renee has been at sea for eight days, during the hottest June on record. NARRATOR: Commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico generates $900 million a year. But for almost half the year, boats operate under a constant threat. June 1st is the start of hurricane season. The Gulf coast is home to 15 million people. Out in the ocean are three and a half thousand oil platforms, all in one of the most notorious hurricane hot spots in the world. Now, some of these platforms, as well as cargo ships, government vessels and fishing boats in the Gulf of Mexico. MAN: Whoa! NARRATOR: Will carry National Geographic cameras for an entire hurricane season. To document one year's storms across our changing planet, on a scale never seen before. KENNETH: Hello, my name's Kenneth MacWhirter, we're at Grand Isle 22, Lima platform. NARRATOR: Cox Oil is one of the few privately-owned oil companies in the Gulf, operating more than 500 platforms stretching from Florida to Texas. KENNETH: Alright, we're gonna get on the helicopter. We're gonna up here and meet Mr. Danny Domain, there he is right there. Takes care of all our safety issues and compliance issues. In hurricane season, all eyes are fixed on the skies to the south east, towards the Atlantic and Caribbean. This is the usual route in for hurricanes. But just a few weeks into the season, meteorologists have spotted a threatening weather pattern coming from the opposite direction, the north. MAN: Tim, what are you looking at here? NARRATOR: This not where hurricanes usually come from. If the system hits the Gulf, high sea temperatures could cause it to intensify, becoming a hurricane in less than a day. CYPRESS CAPTAIN: Stand by, we're almost through our turn. We're almost through our turn. NARRATOR: 220 miles off the Texas coast, United States Coast Guard Cutter Cypress, is on route to a designated location in the middle of the Gulf. COAST GUARD: We've got this sling ready to go. MAN: Alright. COAST GUARD: We're hooking everything up. I'll climb. NARRATOR: The Cypress has a specialist role among Coast Guard ships, they work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, to maintain their network of ocean weather monitoring buoys. CYPRESS CAPTAIN: They're pretty important buoys. They provide data in the Gulf of Mexico, to give early warning of storms. A lot of commercial traffic goes through the Gulf of Mexico, it's in the trillions of dollars in terms of commercial industry, so a pretty important mission. NARRATOR: Today, the crew of the Cypress are deploying a weather buoy, that will give NOAA live wind and wave data from more than 200 miles offshore. But the weather will play a big part in determining how smoothly this operation goes. CYPRESS CAPTAIN: We'll try to give you the best ride we can. I'm not sure how much of a lee we'll be able to give ya. The conditions are gonna pick up. Alright. They will be setting a four-ton concrete anchor, 12,000 feet of cable and a fragile half million-dollar weather buoy. Even in calm weather, this is a precarious operation. MAN: We've got some weather coming in. Is it coming fast? Or what did they say? MAN: Pretty fast it's rain. Let's send the buoy out. COAST GUARD: Yeah. Hopefully just in time before it starts pouring down rain, 'cause it's coming. NARRATOR: The storm has turned South and is approaching the warm seas of the Gulf. The National Weather Service issues coastal forecasts and now they're preparing to announce storm warnings. MANAGER: The one reason we're getting concerned is if it gets into it's gonna start getting into this much warmer air, so these reds here are much warmer water off the Louisiana coast over the next few days. Where the upper level shear will become more favorable for intensification and development. NARRATOR: Almost as soon as the system reaches the warm seas of the Gulf, it intensifies to a sustained wind speed of 40 miles per hour, making it officially a tropical storm and earning it a name... Barry. NARRATOR: Across the Gulf, ships carrying our cameras are seeing the skies change above them. MAN: It's clear this way. But it don't look clear this way. Feel the cool in this air. We got a big storming coming right now. In the middle of the ocean, the oil platforms are exposed. Increasing winds are a big concern. DEVON: Hey this is Devon, electrician here at Grand Isle 22. Got a little storm settling in over us right now. Uh, well take a look at it. I'm kinda ducked behind a building over here to try and stay out of the wind. Probably about 25 knot winds right now. NARRATOR: A powerful hurricane could completely destroy an oil platform, taking its crew down with it. If Cox Oil feel the incoming system is a threat, they'll shut down the rigs, seal the wells and evacuate the workers. Safety of the crews and safety of the environment are paramount. But a shutdown can cost of millions of dollars in lost oil revenues. JAMES: Hello, James Morone, lead operator. MARK: Mark Poche, field foreman, 3-61 Area 2. Here we go, we got tropical storm, possible hurricane evacuations, fixing to have a meeting about it. In New Orleans, Louisiana, Cox Oil's senior management have all rig supervisors on the line. They must decide if and when to initiate an evacuation. RODNEY: Alright gentlemen. You know, we all know the drill, we all know the exercise. NARRATOR: The final decisions rests with Cox Oil President, Rodney Dykes. RODNEY (over phone): The main reason I want to get everybody together this afternoon is to get everybody on task and everybody focused. We anticipate that we will have to take some sort of evacuation, but hopefully we plan for the worst and don't have to execute. Alright gentlemen, y'all have a good day and let's talk at three. NARRATOR: Hurricanes can be devastating for the rigs. Across the Gulf, Hurricane Katrina destroyed 46 oil platforms, and damaged 100 pipelines. Oil spills from damaged platforms prompted strict new regulations, enforcing costly measures in the face of a hurricane threat. Rig operators now face some tough decisions. COAST GUARD: Hey! They need help! Spin. There we go, there we go. Pull it, pull it, pull it! The Coast Guard crew is trying to deploy the buoy before the bad weather hits. Alright, here we go. NARRATOR: But this is not a job easily rushed. MAN: Oh no, no, no! Ohhh! NARRATOR: The buoy smashing into the ship could be a half million-dollar mistake. MAN: We're gonna hit her. Trip the cage, trip the cage. Go, thrust! Trust away! The stopper broke? It's just coming down. Good job. NARRATOR: The buoy lands in the water, just as the rain and winds hit. This is the 12,565 feet of line of up here, we're slowly setting out. I don't what's going on here, but it doesn't look right. NARRATOR: The buoy is surging away from the ship on the wind and waves, but the line is tangled, putting the deck crew at risk of being caught and pulled overboard. This doesn't look right. Bosun! Slow down! It's twisted, look out! Son of a... (inaudible chatter) NARRATOR: The sudden arrival of a storm has made the job of deploying a weather buoy a lot more difficult. Working in the deluge, the coastguard crew unsnag the line. MAN: Hey watch your feet! Let's go! NARRATOR: Once all the line is out, the crew drops the anchor. COAST GUARD: We're going to trip it and she's gonna go in. NARRATOR: A four ton block of concrete, which will take almost 15 minutes to reach the ocean floor. BOSUN: We are already receiving real time information from it. We got the buoys in, they're working properly, everybody's getting the data that they need and they're spitting it out to the mariner. NARRATOR: Data from the buoys is invaluable to forecasters trying to predict the path and intensity of storms. But it's not enough on its own. The call has gone out to launch one of NOAA's hurricane hunters. PILOT(over radio): 120 at zero clear for takeoff from 127014. NARRATOR: The specially equipped Lockheed Orion P3 aircraft fly from NOAA's Aircraft Operations base in North Florida, and they're carrying our cameras. soon as they're airborne, they're into rough weather. NARRATOR: On the ground, near the Florida Panhandle and the center of the ever-building storm, the Marine Units of the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is responding to a distress call. DARRELL: You're not allowed outside on the Gulf. MAN: Even on nice days. NARRATOR: An inshore leisure boat has been caught in the rapidly growing ocean swell. Tropical storm Barry is churning up the seas. The stranded boat may be in real trouble. DARRELL: We can stay with them if they have to evacuate and get 'em off the boat as fast as we can. If we can get on the other side of the breakers here, as it goes out. SHERIFF: 216, we're 10-97 with the pontoon boat in the mouth of the pass. How'd it seize up? What's going on? COASTGUARD: They've got a line wrapped around the prop. DARRELL: They got the anchor wrapped up in it! SHERIFF: Yeah. Hold on Darrell. The small sheriff's boat is immediately getting knocked around by the waves. SHERIFF: Alright Darrell, what's your thought? DARRELL: We are in a bad way dude. SHERIFF: So we definitely need the Coast Guard 45 out here. CREW: Yeah. CARL: I'm sure it's still up. NARRATOR: On board the fishing boat Cynthia Renee, Carl and his crew have also hit serious problems. His engine has shut off, right in the middle of fishing, and he can't get it started again. NARRATOR: The Cynthia Renee is a sitting duck in front of the rapidly building storm system. MAN (over radio): A tropical storm watch has been issued. Tropical cyclone expected to form by Thursday over the North Central Gulf of Mexico. DANNY: My name is Danny Domain, I am the compliance technician. Raining right here. Ooh-hoo, big lightning. This is how fast a storm can pop up in the Gulf of Mexico. On the oil platforms, in the path of tropical storm Barry, Cox Oil must now decide if they are going to shut down production and evacuate. DANNY: This is our production foreman, Larry Pickens. He's getting on a hurricane call and possible evacuation. LARRY: This is Larry at Main Pass. MAN (over phone): Hey Larry, how you doing? LARRY: I'm good, good. NARRATOR: NOAA's forecasters now expect intensifying storm Barry to become a hurricane within days. Cox Oil has taken the big decision to shut down production, seal oil wells, and evacuate 51 platforms in the storm's path. DARRELL: We're still seeing you know, four of five footers. SHERIFF: So a big Coast Guard vessel's on its way out. We're gonna stand by. DARRELL: Coming up hard on the left. NARRATOR: In Destin, Florida, tropical storm Barry is making the seas rougher by the minute. SHERIFF: I wanna stand by because they're in the water. DARRELL: Oh I know, I'm just saying we can't do it. It won't be long before the stranded boat starts to succumb to the waves. SHERIFF: Over there. NARRATOR: A freak wave has crashed through the screen, showering the driver with glass. He's still conscious, but he and his passenger both need medical attention. The Coast Guard are already on their way, but for the now, the pontoon boat must face the waves alone. DONNIE: Mmmm, maybe a hurricane. We gotta go get em. In Dulac, Louisiana, Captain Donnie of the fishing boat Intrepido II, has received Carl's distress call. Carl's boat has been adrift in the open ocean for more than 24 hours. It's 140 miles offshore, and it will take Donnie at least another day to reach them. CARL: Just another day in the life of a fisherman, here in the Gulf of Mexico. NARRATOR: In the skies above the Gulf, NOAA 4-2 is beginning another run into the center of tropical storm Barry. Radio transmitters fitted with temperature, pressure and wind speed monitors, are dropped into the storm, to give a real time cross-section of the intensifying cyclone. picking up power, fast. CYPRESS CAPTAIN: We're just east of the storm track, but we're certainly feeling a little bit of it I think right now, it's still a little rough, a little choppy out. NARRATOR: Carl Roby has been adrift for three days without an engine. And he continues to film on our cameras. NARRATOR: All over vessels carrying our cameras alter their course, doing what they can to avoid the worst of the incoming storm. But the Intrepido II has other priorities. NARRATOR: Donnie and the crew of the Intrepido II, found the Cynthia Renee not a moment too soon. Barry is now within 24 hours of the Louisiana coast. RON: Tropical Storm Barry is about to come ashore tomorrow. I'm just coming here to check on my boat. Make sure it's all good. Ron Dufrene, owner of the shrimp boat Mr. Jug, should've been half way across the Gulf of Mexico by now. RON: These are some of the feeder bands. It's out here right now. Once it gets south of us, the winds gonna shift and start coming from that direction. The Texas shrimping season starts in a few days. Ron had hoped to be there, but with a brewing hurricane now just offshore, it's too dangerous to leave. RON: We have a season that's opening up, and I'm three days away from that tomorrow. 'Cause it'll take me three days to get to where I wanna be. So if I have any intent to make it down there, I'm gonna have to leave as soon as possible. CARL: Slack off on the bow please. NARRATOR: The crew of the Intrepido II have arrived in Dulac, Louisiana, their rescue mission complete. NARRATOR: But despite now being tied up at the dock, Carl and his crew are not clear of danger yet. MANAGER: Some of the models in particular showing that there's 20 inches of rainfall for isolated locations. So the flash flood risk is really ramping up with this system, could be some catastrophic life-threatening flash flooding. The other issue as it slows down, is we're looking at 3-6 feet of storm surge. So that and battering waves on top of that. So it's something we really are concerned about along the Louisiana coast. REPORTER (over TV): A major system bearing down on the U.S., the Gulf bracing. Mandatory evacuations have not been ordered for parts of the coast. NARRATOR: Three hours before landfall, wind speeds hit 75 miles per hour and tropical storm Barry, becomes Hurricane Barry. NARRATOR: As night falls on southern Louisiana, category one hurricane Barry arrives. CREW: It's not blowing in here. CARL: No. NARRATOR: Carl Roby and his crew are just thankful they're not still at sea. NARRATOR: Hurricane Barry's bizarre track continues the next day, as it moves north into Arkansas, almost making a complete loop and breaking rainfall records as it goes. The tail end of Barry brings a new threat. Storm surge. Coastal areas experience almost 8 feet of flooding. RON: Okay, we're on our way to the boat this morning. Sunday morning after hurricane Barry. There's the bayou, coming over the banks. Just when you think you got it bad, it could be worse, you could be these poor souls, buried, underwater. NARRATOR: Ron Dufrene can't afford to wait for the winds to completely pass. RON: We're heading out into the Gulf. Heading to Texas. We got 400 miles to go season opens in two days, and Ron is three days away. RON: It's a little choppy, but we're doing okay. NARRATOR: Offshore, rig workers can begin to make their way back to their platforms. The shutdown has already cost the Gulf of Mexico oil industry almost a billion dollars. They're not wasting any time getting back online. DEVON: We gotta see how the weather affects our work. NARRATOR: The hottest summer on record passes with no more hurricanes in the Gulf. CAPTAIN: Been an absolutely beautiful day. Been calm, no wind, very hot. NARRATOR: As October begins, marine workers can start to hope that they may have got lucky. But sea temperatures are still alarmingly high. CAPTAIN: Extremely hot outside today. Water temperature is 89 degrees. 89.4. CREW: It's so damn hot the seagulls have to put their ass in the water just to cool down. NARRATOR: Warm seas mean hurricane formation is always a threat, and two weeks into October, it's becoming a reality. A buildup of clouds by the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is moving slowly eastward. If it develops into a storm, it has a run of more than 1,000 miles over warm ocean, toward America's Gulf Coast. These are ideal conditions for a hurricane. Bay of Campeche, west of the Yucatan, the 190,000 ton Saipem 7000, the third largest semi-submersible crane ship in the world, is building an oil platform, and they're carrying our cameras. As the growing storm approaches, Saipem 7000 has to detach from the platform for safety reasons. They get the ship clear of the platform just in time. NARRATOR: The incoming weather is almost on them. If faced with hurricane force winds, the ship could be smashed into the new platform. They're safer battling the storm alone. MAN: Ooh! MAN (over radio): Come back, come back, did you say something? CREW: 22 pallets on the risk truck, we need every net out. MAN (over radio): 10-4. NARRATOR: On the Texas coast, skies are clear, but forecasts are now showing increasing winds and cloud beginning to build. CREW: This morning we have a little bit of a snafu. We have a lot more equipment than what we thought we were gonna have going out. This is the mad dash. Winds supposed to get up to 30-40 miles an hour. So we're gonna be running pretty hard trying to get it all out to them. Outside most major ports, there is an offshore anchorage, where incoming cargo ships queue for a space to unload, and outgoing ships can drop anchor and await their next instructions. Ryan Marine operate a delivery and supply service to ships anchored outside Houston's ports. CREW: Radio's on, radar's checked, we're good to go. If a hurricane develops, deliveries to ships will be cut off. They need supplies immediately. But the bigger the waves, the trickier the operation becomes. MAN: The wind's gonna blow it all over the place. Holy (bleep)! NARRATOR: Sea conditions in the northern Gulf of Mexico are much worse than forecasts suggested this morning. MAN: It's swinging back this way now! So I'm having to run away from him. CREW: The wind is having this ship swinging back and forth on its anchor chain. So it's going back and forth about 30 degrees on each side. MAN: Now he's going the other way, so I gotta chase him. Holy, hold on! CREW: We've probably got about two more hours of this. I'm gonna go in and shut off the camera now, save some of the battery for later. JON: We've seen some pretty strong winds from the radar, in fact we've seen nearly hurricane force winds from the radar. NARRATOR: Jon Zawislak, Field Operations Director of NOAA's Hurricane Research Division, is closely watching the latest data on the storm as it comes in. JON: At this point in the hurricane center still expect those winds to increase kind off in the next 12 hours or so as it heads towards this landfall. You know, this is the kind of storm that it doesn't look like a hurricane, it doesn't look like a tropical storm on satellite and it might fool some people, but it does have strong winds. NARRATOR: The weather system is building, but its irregular shape means it's not yet classified as a tropical storm, and storm warnings are not being issued. Jon will now head to NOAA's Aircraft Operations Base in Lakeland, Florida, to fly with the Hurricane Hunters, into the eye of the storm, to find out just how bad it really is. JON: Pretty clear circulation center we saw earlier today, plenty of precipitation up to the north, so there's a lot of slop out there in the Gulf of Mexico. But gonna quickly move north east here over the next 24-36 hours, and accelerate towards the U.S. Gulf Coast. is heading for the U.S. The question now is how powerful it will be when it gets there. CRICO: Got a push boat coming. No traffic inbound. NARRATOR: In Louisiana, the fishing boat Saucy Wench is heading to sea, despite the incoming storm. SEAN: We're heading down the bayou now after being stuck on land for four days due to repairs for our autopilot system. We got some risks, risk that the trip might not be profitable, 'cause we might not have enough time to put enough fish on the boat. The other risk we have is there's a big storm coming this weekend. The path of the storm puts them on a collision course, for now, but Sean and his first mate Crico, are gambling on being able to skirt around the worst of it. SEAN: We got our first couple of sets out. You can see it's already a little choppy out here. Tropical depression off of Mexico and working its way up here, looks like projected path is going to hit Alabama, just miss Louisiana. Well that's what we're dealing with, so maybe we'll get some storm action this trip. I'll show what it's like to be on the back deck. Oh man. Yep, pretty rough out there. NARRATOR: 200 miles south, the approaching weather system is still disorganized. But it now has sustained winds over 40 miles per hour and is upgraded to tropical storm, Nestor. CAPTAIN: All these lightning storms. Doesn't even look real does it? NARRATOR: Those who have chosen to stay at sea, must now live with their decisions. It's too late to turn back. The Cox Oil rigs are now bracing for impact. Let's just hunker down and ride this thing out. It does look like it's moving pretty quickly. You guys there in Mobile, Main Pass, West Delta, Grand Isle, stay safe, don't take any chances, we're not looking for any heroes. BILL: This is Bill Hill, it's October 18th. We've got a tropical storm coming through and it should be hitting us in about three hours. Just been having a meeting and all, about what we're gonna do out here. Weather's looking pretty rough though. Waves just started picking up. BILL: I'm here at Mobile 9-16 watching the seas roll in, the clouds roll in from tropical storm Nestor. We got 8 foot seas, roughly 40 mile an hour winds. There you can see y'all, to the south west, the dark clouds rolling in from the leading edge of it. NARRATOR: 8 foot waves are hitting the base of platform Mobile 916, but the center of Nestor is still three hours away. In Lakeland Florida, the Hurricane Hunters are preparing to get airborne. Jon will be leading the data gathering. JON: The storm has moved north, seeing decent tropical storm winds. We're gonna leave out of here Lakeland, lot of weather en route, there's a lot of that rain in the storm is actually on the east side between us and the center, so we're gonna be trying to get through that. NARRATOR: The vast reach of Nestor is still impacting the Saipem 7000. As the storm rages, their vessel becomes a shelter for an unlikely visitor. The ship is so huge, that a flock of exhausted birds have landed on it, looking to hide from the storm. CREW: Here's some pictures of the birds. Look at these guys. Poor guys. I think they're scared about the electrical storms happening here. Hundreds of tiny birds, migrating from the U.S. to South America, are now perched on any available surface of the ship. CREW: Not the best sight. JON: Definitely some really strong thunderstorms out to our east right now. We're getting a lot of lightning. NARRATOR: Jon and the Hurricane Hunter flight are now in Nestor. JON: Yeah still seeing 50-55 knot surface winds. significant wave height. We're really interested in those wave heights near the center, to the north and the east. Because that's what's about to be experienced in the Florida Panhandle. NARRATOR: The flight will provide essential data for forecasters to predict what ships in the Gulf, and Florida residents, can expect to face in the morning. Nestor is showing no sign of weakening. CRICO: So we're here, about to do a testimonial with the master, see what he thinks about it. So Captain, what do you think about this weather? SEAN: Well it's nice in the cabin here. NARRATOR: Sadly, the crew can't stay in the cabin, they have four miles of line to haul in. CRICO: Oh! NARRATOR: The wind is gusting harder and harder, hurling rain sideways into the boat. CRICO: Whoa! CRICO: You could feel the pressure drop. You know something's not right. You got to try not to panic. CRICO: Hold on! Hold on Josh! (breathing heavily). CRICO: Josh look at that! Look watch the bandit watch the bandit! CRICO: We had a lot of gear in the water, thousands of dollar's worth of gear, and thousands of dollars' worth of fish on that gear. I couldn't take a chance of leaving it out there like that, and losing all of that. JOSH: Yeah. NARRATOR: After 45 minutes, Crico and the crew start to emerge on the other side of the storm. CRICO: You're staring in the face of death at that point. CRICO: But, I made it. NARRATOR: Pressed by a cold front to the north, tropical storm Nestor was unable to form the circular shape of a conventional hurricane, preventing it from intensifying. But it's still brought 4 feet of storm surge to parts of the Florida coastline, and a deluge of rainfall. And in the Tampa region, a tornado outbreak in Nestor's outer bands caused damage valued at over $100 million. This hurricane season will be remembered in the Gulf for weird, unruly storms and hurricanes that defied prediction. But as the world's climate shifts further from its baseline level, this season of surprises look like a forerunner of much more yet to come. RICK: Outside, it is pretty much flat calm, but by tomorrow, it's not gonna be pretty. MAN (over radio): A hurricane force storm warning is in effect for the Bering Sea. Extreme caution is advised for all shipping. Wind 55 knots, increasing to 70 knots. Waves 33 feet, building to 47 feet by 18:00. MAN: Come on. No, no, no, stop. (thunder and lightning). ♪ ♪ RICK: This is our boat, the Aleutian Lady. She's been in our family since 1989. Very strong, very stout, very trustworthy. So, this is our beautiful little girl. NARRATOR: Captain Rick Shellford is a veteran fisherman, working out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. As he prepares to head into the most notoriously dangerous fishing ground on earth, Rick has been given a camera by National Geographic to show us his story. RICK: My kids are gonna get a kick out of this. I don't even take selfies on my phone. Let's try this out. Hope it works. Here we go. I am Captain Rick of the Aleutian Lady and we are getting ready to go out and fish the 2019 red king crab season. I hope I don't make a fool out of myself. So, all right, I will chat at you here later and have a good day. NARRATOR: The camera with Captain Rick is one of 1,000 that National Geographic placed with people who work at sea for one typhoon season, wherever storms might strike. What Captain Rick doesn't know is that soon he'll be heading into one of the biggest and most powerful storms in history. (phone ringing). MAN: Good afternoon, COJ Tops, JTWC, starting in the upper levels in the northern hemisphere. On the IR shot, we were seeing some extra spinning. NARRATOR: At Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, home port for the US Navy's Pacific fleet, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center is tracking a storm in the Western Pacific. MAN: This just came in. All right. Forecast CAITLIN: Wow. That has increased significantly. force storms in this area are called typhoons. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is there to alert US military assets if one is considered a threat. The new storm is still a long way from land, but its behavior is troubling. It's intensified far more rapidly than expected. Predicted to pass safely to the north of Guam, it's heading west towards Asia. The officer on duty is Lieutenant Caitlin Fine. MAN: If this really is rapidly intensifying... CAITLIN: Mm-hmm. MAN: Our next warning will likely be more intense. NARRATOR: Its terrifyingly rapid growth has marked this typhoon as a special case, and even inspired its name. Hagibis, a Filipino word meaning speed. As they watch, the intensification becomes even more explosive. And it's just getting started. CAITLIN: We see rapid intensification pretty frequently, but this degree of rapid intensification was really, really fast. This is tropical storm Hagibis at 50 knots on the 6th October at 06:00 Zulu, and you can see that it's wrapping, but it's not that well organized, it's not that strong. 24 hours later, at 06:00 on the 7th of October, it is 150 knots and then 160 knots and then 165 knots. NARRATOR: Overnight, Hagibis has undergone some of the most rapid intensification ever seen. Its maximum wind speeds have increased by 100 miles per hour, making Hagibis a category five super typhoon. The most powerful storm of the year anywhere on earth. At 950 miles across, it is one of the largest typhoons ever recorded. In a matter of days, this mega storm could make landfall in East Asia. Around the world, our cameras are with forecasters as they battle to predict where Hagibis will go next and who lies in its path. CAITLIN: So, just one day later and the model shifted significantly from, from this, bigger spread, our model guidance shows a straight northward path there, at the end through 120 hours. Then one day later, model guidance has shifted, showing a more pronounced re-curve and landfall on Tokyo. NARRATOR: The forecasts are unanimous. In less than three days' time, Hagibis will make a direct hit on Tokyo, Japan. One of the most populated regions on earth. As Hagibis bears down on Japan, vessels filming for National Geographic must react fast to the news it's headed their way. TALATI: Good morning everyone. NARRATOR: Oil tanker the BW Shinano is headed from Kashima, near Tokyo, to China, but her planned route would put her on a collision course with Hagibis. Instead, Captain Talati makes the decision to depart immediately and head north and then west, to put the Japanese islands between her and the typhoon. Hagibis is now less than 24 hours from Japan. REPORTER: Japan bracing as a powerful typhoon is expected to make landfall in the coming hours. NARRATOR: Japan has issued its highest possible level of warning, with one third of its entire population advised to evacuate or move to a higher floor. ERIC: Everybody is quite concerned with the strength of what's about to hit us. NARRATOR: Those that remain are racing to board up their houses and businesses, and the nation's many fishermen are moving their boats as far inland as they can. ERIC: The water in the river is moving faster than normal and apparently there's gonna be huge storm surges, and I'm a little curious to see what effect it will have on this river. Like is it gonna overflow? NARRATOR: Shinano's detour into the Sea of Japan means she is more than 400 miles from the heart of Hagibis, but still experiencing its effects. NARRATOR: Had she not moved, it could have been much worse. As Hagibis meets cooler water and hits land, its winds de-intensify to the equivalent of a category two hurricane. But not enough to make Japan safe. As it makes land fall, the super cell thunderstorms from inside the typhoon spawn a violent tornado. NARRATOR: Hagibis's large size and the long time it's spent over open ocean means it is carrying an unprecedented volume of water, which falls as rain. As its core crosses Japan's main island of Honshu, some areas receive three feet of rainfall in just 24 hours. Rivers burst their banks and mud slides engulf houses. Catastrophic flooding, rather than high winds, have become the killer in this typhoon. Hagibis causes $15 billion worth of damage, and 98 people tragically lose their lives. As Hagibis leaves behind a broken Japan, forecasters fear it may not be the end of this rule breaking monster. Thousands of miles away, our cameras are with crab fishermen in the Aleutian chain, waiting to start their season. But Hagibis is about to change everything. RICK: It's gonna be a heck of a blow with a lot of wind and a lot of waves. NARRATOR: After devastating Japan, typhoon Hagibis is mutating. CAITLIN: Having made landfall in Tokyo, we determined it was extra tropical and then this infra-red image here at 1000 Z, on the 13th of October, you can see all the convection is displaced as it's being blown away by the jet at the upper levels of the atmosphere. NARRATOR: As it leaves behind the warm waters that birthed it, Hagibis is undergoing a transformation. No longer drawing energy from the heat of the tropical waters, it is now powered by the extreme difference in temperature, where hot and cold air meet to become an extra tropical cyclone. Less organized, more chaotic and much, much bigger. CAITLIN: It's gonna head north east, carried along by the jet into the Bering Sea. Certainly, you know, it's still moving on with a lot of energy. NARRATOR: In its extra-tropical form, Hagibis has entered the jet stream and is being catapulted north east, directly towards the Aleutian Island chain and the Bering sea, home of the Alaskan King Crab Fleet. OFFICIAL: Good morning, we're going to do a briefing at the lead desk, thank you for your attention to this matter. NARRATOR: The Aleutians are west of the Alaska Peninsula. in Anchorage call an urgent briefing to issue warnings for the fishing fleet that Hagibis is coming. OFFICIAL: Let's take a quick look at what's going on on satellite here, and things are relatively quiet out our windows but out over the Bering things are starting to take shape with the remnants of Hagibis and so that is kind of our forecast problem of the day. NARRATOR: In under 48 hours, Hagibis will enter the Bering Sea bringing with it waves in excess of 40 feet right where the crab boats will be fishing. The weather service issue urgent warnings to the fleet, to change their departure plans and avoid the Bering Sea. The vessels carrying our cameras must make a choice their lives could depend on. To ride out the storm at sea and risk being rolled by a wave. Or to crowd into the port where winds could smash their boats together. CAPTAIN: Security call Kari Marie outbound, east channel, searching for opposing traffic, channel 16, channel nine Kari Marie. With the possibility of 40 to 50 foot seas, 70 knot winds, it's just, it's not worth the risk. NARRATOR: With just 12 hours before Hagibis strikes, the Kari Marie and dozens of other crab boats will take shelter in Dutch Harbor. CAPTAIN: We're in. Tight squeeze, but we got it. RICK: So this is us getting the boat ready for really bad weather in Dutch Harbor. We don't want to part any lines, we don't want to break free, we want to stay secure, safe so we can sleep at night, not get woken up at 3:00am to fix the tie up job. NARRATOR: With so many vessels now in port, one boat coming loose in the typhoon could destroy half the fleet. RICK: Whoa. MAN: Right there. Is that good? RICK: You're even. We pull the lines even so they pull at the same time and get tight at the same time, then it's twice as strong. NARRATOR: The king crab season opens tomorrow. Under normal circumstances, boats would race to be first onto the best crab grounds, saving time and money. But the 40 foot waves predicted from Hagibis could sink a crab boat at sea. The Pinnacle is using her time in port to pre-bait her pots. MARK: Yeah, there's a bunch of us crabbers here waiting for this to pass through, so we're just doing a little pre-bait. Normally we do this on the way up to the grounds but it's going to be kinda rough on the way up, so the guys are doing it there and down. A few scoops of herring and some squid. NARRATOR: Hagibis is now within 500 miles of Dutch Harbor. RICK: Outside, it is pretty much flat calm, the calm before the storm, beautiful evening. Crew's able to work still out on deck, doing their gear work. Not much wind at all but by tomorrow, it's not going to be pretty. MAN: Heave line one. Heave line one. MAN: Hold line two, hold line two. WOMAN: Hold line two, on. NARRATOR: The US Coast Guard has a specialist asset in the Bering sea. A powerful ex-salvage cutter, The Alex Haley. BENJAMIN: One of the big challenges with this particular super typhoon is the way that it's going across the entire Bering and Gulf of Alaska. As we look at the Bering Sea, this whole region is going to be affected by super typhoon Hagibis. NARRATOR: To provide cover for any crab boats that opted to weather the storm at sea, Commander Golightly needs to move his vessel towards the storm. BENJAMIN: Search and rescue is always a mission for the coast guard and up there with the fishing fleet, a $6.4 billion industry, we're there to help protect that fishing fleet NARRATOR: Hagibis is less than eight hours away. BENJAMIN: Dutch Harbor is here. Most of this storm is going to be really pretty nasty in this area. I'm going to go around the corner here to Beaver Inlet and basically position the ship in there. The fishing fleet, as they go up and operate, are primarily going to probably be maybe up in this area, when they're looking for the crabs. And so if we needed to, we can get out and get up to try and help them but we're gonna have to bang into some pretty heavy seas to get there. ZOGBY: 31. WOMAN: Line one ready to go back over. ZOGBY: 32. Roger. NARRATOR: The Alex Haley needs to move now in order to be in position to protect herself and the fishing fleet. The 40 foot waves expected from Hagibis could overwhelm her if she was caught in the open. ZOGBY: We are, as you can see by the bulldog, we are the bulldog of the Bering Sea, that's what we've nicknamed ourselves and we're pretty proud about that. NARRATOR: On route to her new location, the Alex Haley has a chance to practice the helicopter maneuvers required to undertake search and rescue in a storm. (radio chatter). BENJAMIN: Winds over 30 to 35 knots, seas over eight to 10 feet, my ability to launch a helicopter are significantly degraded. So, we're constantly training and trying to build in that expertise. PATRICK: Alaska warning point, Anchorage weather. Good afternoon sir, we've issued, or correction, we've upgraded our high wind watch to a high wind warning for zone 195. We're looking at winds of 55 to 65 with gusts to 75 miles an hour. Roger that, Anchorage weather clear. NARRATOR: At the National Weather Service in Anchorage, the forecast is rapidly updated. Hagibis is moving further north, but it's grown so huge it's pulling in another storm and steering it towards the Aleutians. PATRICK: Up here in the infrared imagery we can see Hagibis. And this is our next storm moving into the Bering. NARRATOR: When two large storms come within 1,000 miles, they can begin to circle one another. This rare phenomenon can alter the tracks of both storms in a way that's dangerously unpredictable. As it approaches the Bering Sea, Hagibis has sucked in a second major storm system from Russia, and sent it spinning in a completely new direction. PATRICK: You can see the circulation center of Hagibis starting to move ashore along the Siberian coast, and it's helping funnel down some colder air from Siberia and then with this storm starting to get really wrapped up. That's helping pull the dry air in even more. That swathe of hurricane force winds will continue to track across the southern Bering. NARRATOR: Due to the power of Hagibis, the second storm, which would have passed safely over the western Aleutians, is now heading directly towards the crab fleet. PATRICK: They lucked out and missed the worst conditions yesterday, that's not going to be the case with this storm, it's going to come right across them. NARRATOR: For one hurricane season, gave 1,000 cameras to fishing boats and ships working in the world's stormiest seas. Right now, some of those vessels are in the path of the biggest storm of the year. One of our cameras is riding onboard the tanker Ardmore Dauntless, taking a load of canola oil from Portland Oregon to South Korea. Ahead lie vast storms stirred up in the fallout from Typhoon Hagibis. Despite her hi-tech weather systems, and route advice from Ardmore HQ, there is no escape from the giant seas. Captain Isaac is faced by bad weather on all sides. NARRATOR: With bad weather in every direction, the Ardmore Dauntless is facing waves of more than 22 feet, as she picks a route right through the storm. One of the world's busiest shipping lanes passes right through the Bering sea. The Great Circle Route, connecting the USA with Asia. PATRICK: The Great Circle route is essentially like a highway on water, where you're gonna just have a lot of marine traffic and you get one of these systems coming through there with significant winds and waves, it poses an inherent hazard to not only the vessels themselves but the crews on board. NARRATOR: As she travels further west, the waves striking the Dauntless are getting bigger. NARRATOR: A ship being hit by waves from the side, or its beam, is vulnerable to taking on water and even sinking. NARRATOR: The Dauntless is now 250 miles south of the Aleutian island chain, and the ocean is becoming ever more turbulent. NARRATOR: The Dauntless is now facing waves up to 30 feet. Bering Sea mariners know this shipping route has ended in disaster in the past. In 2004 the merchant ship Selendang Ayu was caught in a storm attempting this passage between the USA and Asia. She ran aground and started to break apart. The vessel that came to her rescue was US coast guard cutter Alex Haley. BENJAMIN: If you end up in the water, it's minutes of survival and even with a dry suit and proper gear, it's a few hours. NARRATOR: They were able to rescue 20 of the crew members. But ship, cargo, and six mariners were lost. BENJAMIN: Lessons from the Selendang Ayu are always in the back of your mind, just kind of showing that this could happen again. RICK: Good morning. Probably look like hell. Didn't sleep well. Hurricane Hagibis has come to Dutch Harbor in force. NARRATOR: Super typhoon Hagibis, the largest and most destructive storm on earth so far this year, has caused chaos in the Bering Sea, sucking in a second major storm system, and hurling it right towards the king crab fleet hiding out in Dutch Harbor. RICK: We keep blowing out our buoys because we're surging into the boat next to us, so we got to keep adding buoys so we don't smash into the other boat. But it is gnarly. There was recorded winds this morning of 97 miles an hour and it is just a butt kicker. NARRATOR: A few hundred miles to the south, the oil tanker Dauntless has reached the halfway point between the USA and Asia. Her route has taken her directly into storms south of the Aleutians. This far north, storms bring not only high winds and waves, but also ice, snow and freezing waters. Dauntless is dangerously exposed. NARRATOR: Extreme cold temperatures can ruin her cargo of canola oil. They can also freeze firefighting and lifeboat rigs, rendering life-saving equipment useless, right when it's needed most. Dauntless still has ten days and 2,000 miles in front of her before she reaches safety. MAN: How was it back there? MAN: It was very windy and very cold. MAN: Pretty nautical this morning. NARRATOR: The transit of Hagibis through the Bering Sea has forced the Dutch Harbor fishermen to miss the start of the king crab season. Having paid out for fuel, bait and food, they need to fill their quotas with the best crab if they're going to make a profit. MIKE: The faster we get this done, the faster I get to go home to my family, my wife, three kids. MARK: Just waiting for this wind to die down here for going on three days now, I guess, so anyway I think we're about ready to take off. NARRATOR: But the sea is dangerously unsettled. The effect of Hagibis, followed by the second storm it attracted, is that major waves are now expected in the Bering. NARRATOR: Capsizing is the biggest killer of Bering Sea fishermen and the reason this is the most dangerous job in America. MOORE: It can get pretty nasty out there so we try and do everything we can, ahead of time, at the dock here, to make sure it's stable and secure. NARRATOR: With the pots secure, they head out into the freezing Bering for the overnight journey to their fishing grounds. They are about to find out what Hagibis has done to the Bering. RICK: So the weather started to pick up even more. We're getting gusts up to 45, seas up to 16 feet. So, we are going to jog tonight and try and get some sleep with the boat moving and slamming around. Not looking forward to it. It's going to be brutal. So, alright, I'm going to bed. NARRATOR: All across the Pacific, ships are filming as they feel the fallout from Hagibis. MAN: Captain sir, officer of the watch, given the increased sea state, spray and relative winds increasing to 55 knots over the deck I've placed the upper decks out of bounds sir. Aye sir. NARRATOR: The Canadian Navy vessel HMCS Ottawa is heading home from Hawaii to British Columbia after a long tour in the western Pacific enforcing sanctions on North Korea. CREW MEMBER: Wind ships, you're 045. NARRATOR: But her route has her on a collision course with the shock waves of the Aleutian storms. BARLOW: Okay, what you got this morning? JACKLIN: Lots of weather sir. Here's some of the systems that are affecting us. There's this low-pressure system just in the Aleutians and it's got that very tight pressure gradients with the strong winds, pushing a lot of seas towards us. NARRATOR: To get home on time, they have no choice but to push through the waves. The closer they get to home, the worse the conditions will get. BARLOW: We've sort of got one route to get us home on time, so we'll be going through some of that weather. So we're looking at upwards of six meters, possibly more for seas as we transit home. NARRATOR: Navy frigates are huge and heavy. Instead of being thrown up and down on top of the swell, their size allows them to punch through waves coming straight at the bow. But carrying out routine work always becomes much more challenging in heavy seas. JACKLIN: Here we have service analysis impacts, basically just strong winds and projected four to five meter seas. It could still build from now but still severe impact on operations, not really good for launching the boats or anything. Any questions, sir? BARLOW: No. Okay, thanks. JACKLIN: Thank you. CREW MEMBER: A systems engage. A systems shoot. MAN (over radio): Roger. (gunfire). CREW MEMBER: I think they were a little short. CREW MEMBER 2: They were, for sure. NARRATOR: For an active warship, the building seas offer a chance to practice range accuracy in rough conditions. If they have to do this for real, it won't be in perfect weather. CREW MEMBER: Ceasefire. Right, range here complete. MAN: Roger, right range complete. NARRATOR: In the Aleutians, Captain Rick has finally been able to start fishing RICK: It is so amazing to be off the dock. We have been tied up way too long, so it's time to play and have some fun. Every time I leave the dock it's exciting. It's a new adventure, it's part of my blood, it's part of my soul, is being out at sea. NARRATOR: They are fishing 170 miles northeast of Dutch Harbor. But super typhoon Hagibis has brought havoc across the entire Bering Sea, churning out giant waves and wind still gusting at hurricane force. NARRATOR: After capsizing, falling overboard is the most common cause of death for crab fishermen. Accidents on the deck also account for a high number of fatalities. NARRATOR: The passage of the typhoon has caused an unexpected problem. Warmer water swept in from the tropics with the storm can cause king crab to shift hundreds of miles making them harder to find. The Aleutian Lady is turning up a lot of undersized crab which must be thrown back. If she can't make up for lost time now, the risks will have been for nothing. NARRATOR: The Ardmore Dauntless has been pushing through 20 foot waves for over a week. Drawing on his experience, Captain Isaac orients the Dauntless to avoid taking waves side on and steers a more sheltered route in the lee of the Kuril Islands. After 18 consecutive stormy days, Captain Isaac delivers her safely to her destination in South Korea, a little late but with crew and cargo intact. NARRATOR: Deep in the Bering Sea, Captain Rick is hauling his crab pots. Hampered by the storm, his first 108 pots have caught only 78 crab. RICK: If I mess up and I don't find the crab, it's just like man, I failed my guys, I failed my crew. It's such a huge responsibility. RICK: You've got to pick it up and always know that there is tomorrow. I mean you really never know whether half mile away, one mile away, you're going to have the motherload and you just have to keep on going. MOORE: This is a big one, he probably weighs ten pounds. I thought we were getting $9 a pound for this, so this guy's worth almost $100. There's the crab in the tank. Tank's full. There's probably 70,000 pounds in there. RICK: You've just always got to stay positive, 'cause you don't know what the next day's gonna be, what the next string's gonna be, what the next pot's gonna be. And lo and behold, I think we nailed it right on 'em. NARRATOR: HMCS Ottawa is taking a direct line home through the shock waves of the Alaskan storm systems. JACKLIN: We're a war ship, we can't let a little bad weather stop us from getting to where we want to go. Wooh, it's like going through a car wash! NARRATOR: Taking waves on the bow is the safest strategy but will burn up to 20% more fuel and it won't be a comfortable ride. JACKLIN: It just makes life a little bit harder for people getting out of bed, walking down the flats, that's what we call the hallways in the ship, or even just standing in a shower and trying not to bounce off the sides of the shower as you're trying to rinse the soap out of your eyes, as you're bouncing back and forth. We're just going to stay in a similar sea state to this for the next few days. NARRATOR: In the Bering Sea, Captain Mark Casto and the crew of the Pinnacle are still fishing in treacherous conditions. MARK: It's 12:37 in the afternoon, pretty good storm. STEVEN: Steven Jamieson, Pinnacle. It's a little breezy out, so we'll try to take you out there and see what happens. NARRATOR: Veteran fishermen like Steven know all too well the risks of the job. Constantly stormy weather in the Bering increases the risk of swells interacting to form freak giant waves. NARRATOR: Once the crabs are removed, the pots have to be stacked and tied down so the boat can move to the next location. On the Pinnacle, it's Steven's job to secure them so they don't risk rolling the boat over. NARRATOR: To balance on the top of the rolling stack, with no harness and only a life jacket for protection, is to take your life in your hands. Falling into the freezing water would mean almost certain death. After five days of fishing in the shadow of typhoon Hagibis, the Aleutian Lady is about to make dock with her cargo of crab. RICK: It was a bear getting in here, a wind was blowing us off the dock, but we got in and I'm going to take a walk around and show you what we accomplished the past five days. Hey Bullet, grab a big one. That's the baby. There we go, both you guys hold them up. Big old spiders. BULLET: Sea spiders. NARRATOR: The Aleutian Lady was the most successful boat that went out as Hagibis passed over the Bering. Hagibis finally dissipated over Eastern Siberia as it approached the Arctic Circle. It will go down in history as a record breaker, for its flood damage in Japan. PATRICK: Hagibis went from tropical storm strength to a category five typhoon in less than a 24-hour period. NARRATOR: The most costly typhoon of all time. Its impact felt thousands of miles from its tropical birthplace, threatening lives and livelihoods across the Pacific. In a world of accelerating change, as storms become more powerful and less predictable, Hagibis was a warning, summoned from the deepest and largest ocean on earth. TUAZON: This is really dangerous, really dangerous now. MORGERMAN: The screaming and whistling from this typhoon is unbelievable. MORGERMAN: The sea is nuts. Giant waves smashing the sea wall of the building. TORRES: Hello. Mitch here, Heritage Charters. NARRATOR: Mitch Torres is on the motor vessel Dorado, shipping supplies from Guam to its neighboring Pacific island of Rota. A storm is brewing. TORRES: It's about 2:00 in the morning. I just left the dock about 30 minutes ago. So just about to get a little bit more rough. There'll be a lot of action. We're getting about 18 to 27 knots of wind and about 5 to 7 foot swells. AYDLETT: So we are heading into the weather office. This is my third night shift of the week. NARRATOR: Meteorologist Landon Aydlett is with NOAA, the US government weather agency. AYDLETT: We've been watching this tropical cyclone and the forecast models for over a week now. It could become a typhoon. NARRATOR: Located 4,000 miles west of Hawaii, Guam is in the Northern Mariana islands. The new storm is rising in a region of ocean known as the breeding ground of typhoons. With winds now over 40 miles an hour it's classed as a tropical storm and given a name, Kammuri. (radio chatter) CAPTAIN: Roger, casting off all lines. In Guam's port, Apra Harbor, boats stand by to take evasive action. CAPTAIN: It's 1:22am in the morning and the wind picked up a little bit since 6:00pm. Let's go check it out. NARRATOR: These men are among more than 1,000 marine workers given cameras at the start of the costliest Pacific storm season on record, to film storms wherever they strike, right around the globe on a scale never seen before. MAN: Got some swells coming in from the north. NARRATOR: Now they're caught in the path of a killer Pacific typhoon. On the US territory of Guam, the NOAA Weather Station watches over the most active tropical storm zone on the planet. AYDLETT: How's it going? Is it a typhoon yet? WOMAN: Still in the area. NARRATOR: Typhoon is the name used in the Pacific for a major cyclone, known in the Atlantic as a hurricane. All eyes are on the new storm, 150 miles from Guam and already making its presence felt. AYDLETT: The sea heights have really shot up and it's keeping very much in line with what the models have been forecasting. In the last half hour we've shot up to nearly 20 foot of seas out there. If people are not away from the coast right now, they need to be, because even when I was out there earlier, we were looking at seas between 10 and 12 feet. They've almost doubled since five hours ago. As Storm Kammuri demonstrates its growing power, Guam goes on standby. Justin Reyes is captain of crew boat Leatherneck. NARRATOR: Large ships must be ready to leave port ahead of the storm. All crew who had gone ashore are urgently recalled. Justin's job is to ferry them on the Leatherneck back to their ships. In 10 foot swells, it's an operation that requires a steady nerve and some split second timing. AYDLETT: Definitely winds have increased across the region and it's going to get a little noisy out there, so the windows and doors have been rattling, and they're going to shake pretty good when this passes over. NARRATOR: Guam has a higher risk of typhoon or hurricane strike than any other US territory. In the open ocean between the island and its neighbor Rota, the swell is building. TORRES: Good morning. It's about 6:30 now in the morning. I'm still on the way to Rota. It's a little bit more rough. If I go any faster, we're going to start taking waves over the bow, and I don't want that right now. CHASE: Good morning everybody, carry on please. NARRATOR: On Guam, Captain Chris Chase, US Coast Guard sector commander, must keep a close watch on the looming storm. WOMAN: We've got a timeline on the seas and the winds. CHASE: The port of Guam is the lifeblood of not only this island, but all of the islands throughout the region. NARRATOR: Guam's 210 square miles of US soil is home to a military base of vital strategic significance. Restricting the potential for damage during a storm is critical. In the port, the last resort is to shut down, sending ships to seek safety at sea. CHASE: We haven't closed the port officially yet. But the worst thing that could happen is if we leave the ships in port, and something drastic happens and one of them sinks at the port, that's going to impact the ability to get cargo in and out of the port. WOMAN: Sector 75-3 our operations are verifying the harbor, over. NARRATOR: A Coast Guard response boat assesses the changing sea state. On board, Chris Grimes. GRIMES: Yeah, we just headed outside of the harbor, Apra harbor, where our station's located, just to evaluate the conditions past the break wall. We're just looking at the sustained winds and swell direction and swell height. NARRATOR: This close to where typhoons form, there's a constant risk of being taken by surprise. CHASE: We're always at port heavy weather condition Whisky, so we're always within 72 hours of having a storm impact and they happen really quickly. So we don't get the lead time that some of the east coast gets which makes things a little bit more challenging out this way. GRIMES: The storm's located to the east of us right now. We are seeing increased size of waves and winds, and so things could change pretty fast as far as our operational capabilities over the next few hours. NARRATOR: Storm Kammuri's progress is presenting a growing threat to Guam. With its strongest winds just 24 hours away, the threat level at the harbor is raised to port condition, "Yankee". All ships are ordered to leave. Shipping containers are lowered in preparation for storm force winds. Our cameras are with one of the tugs escorting ships to open waters, the Patriot, under Captain Mike Ulloa. ULLOA: This is the last navy ship to be departing the harbor. All the navy ships are gone and all the commercial ships are departed already. If the wind was to really, really pick up, the boat could end up banging up against the dock over here, destroy the dock, you know it could destroy the navy dock on that side. You know this is like a lifeline for food, supplies, vehicles, it all comes through the harbor. We can't have any traffic jams so to speak because someone didn't depart the harbor and their ship ended up grounded somewhere. That would be really bad. NARRATOR: Guam islanders know how quickly storms can intensify over the warm waters of the North West Pacific into a destructive super-typhoon. AYDLETT: We do have the bragging rights for the most tropical cyclones in any year, and that's just the way of life out here. Over the last 20 years, the north west Pacific has spawned 94 super typhoons, over four times more than the number of equally powerful Atlantic hurricanes. It's earned this stretch of ocean the name Typhoon Alley. AYDLETT: Typhoon Alley is a common term for this region, primarily because we have so many typhoons come through this area every year. We average 30 to 35 tropical cyclones every year. Come typhoon season, like we are right now, you have storm after storm after storm. NARRATOR: Guam's NOAA station is a vital look-out post for the US Navy's facility that tracks all Pacific typhoons. This is the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (phone ringing) DOJ-TOPS, JTWC. NARRATOR: From here, the US Navy issues weather warnings to its assets right MAN: I'm concerned about these islands, obviously... It just looks like a shadow of the overshooting top. NARRATOR: Our cameras are on the watch floor with Lieutenant Caitlin Fine, where Kammuri is the center of attention. FINE: This is an infra-red image here on the left that shows tropical storm Kammuri. Satellites are our main observation tool. You look for areas where convection or thunderstorms are occurring, you look for areas where you can already see rotation. Then you start to look for the beginnings of a system. NARRATOR: One special satellite has a vital role in monitoring storm development in Typhoon Alley, Himawari 8. AYDLETT: The Himawari satellite is the geostationary satellite over our region and that gives us one continuous snapshot. So we see a beautiful frame of weather across the whole area and that's never interrupted. NARRATOR: Data from the satellite is showing that Guam will be spared by Kammuri. Its outer band of winds will only graze the island as it continues along Typhoon Alley to bear down on a far bigger target, the Philippines, a country more exposed to typhoons than anywhere in the world. Typhoon Kammuri is now on a course that looks all too familiar. COASTGUARD: We're looking for any damage to the pier, any damage to any of the vessels. NARRATOR: The Pacific island of Guam has been spared the full force of tropical storm Kammuri. GRIMES: The storm has basically passed. We still have winds above 30 knots in the area. But we've got teams out doing port assessments, we've got boat crews that are going to go out... MAN: We're clear! GRIMES: Everything we can do so we can make sure it's safe to bring ships back into the port and start conducting operations inside the ports as well. TORRES: Good afternoon. Mitch again. It's about 50 miles back to Guam. A lot of whitecaps, but not as bad as it was this morning. It was like way big this morning. NARRATOR: Moving west, Kammuri is supercharged by the warm waters of the Pacific. Within a day it reaches full typhoon strength. MAN: Right there? That's the one. NARRATOR: Kammuri's next destination along Typhoon Alley seems inevitable. AYDLETT: Anything that develops in our region, a lot of times goes towards the Philippines. 1500 miles west of Guam, the Philippines spans the breadth of Typhoon Alley. A cluster of cities around the capital Manila, on the northern island of Luzon is the most densely populated region of the country. On average, 20 major storms enter Philippine waters every year. NARRATOR: The crew of fishing boat Ron Kirby Two are 50 miles off Luzon's exposed north west coast. First mate Aldrin Apa has one of our cameras with him for their week-long trip. NARRATOR: Hauling the net by hand takes 30 men. After a week at sea, they've hit a lucky streak. NARRATOR: As well as the regular haul of mackerel, today's catch includes some highly valued Skipjack tuna. (honking) PEREZ: Good morning, it's the 29th of November and it's already 5:55 in the morning out here in the Philippines. I'm on my way to work and I can see one of our weather forecasters. NARRATOR: Chris Perez is a meteorologist with the Philippines weather agency, PAGASA. PEREZ: We are not yet late. NARRATOR: Their mission is to provide early warnings of any threats, and Kammuri is already causing concern. PEREZ: What we have here is a model of the wind at the upper level of the atmosphere. So if this particular sub-tropical ridge persists, the typhoon is likely to move westward instead of moving north. track is dangerously close to the country's capital Metro Manila, and the densely populated center, raising fears of a repeat of a tragedy, that the Philippines can never forget. 2013's Typhoon Haiyan. Haiyan's ferocious power was captured on camera by an American storm chaser, Josh Morgerman. MORGERMAN: I've been in the inner core of 49 hurricanes and typhoons all over the world, and super typhoon Haiyan was, I mean it was just off the charts. With devastating winds gusting at 235 miles per hour this was one of the most powerful AYDLETT: Ever since super typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Philippines a number of years ago, people are shell-shocked about another typhoon hitting the Philippines. NARRATOR: Haiyan claimed more than 6,000 lives, and a million homes were destroyed. Even for this disaster prone country, it was the worst storm ever recorded. is on a collision course with the Philippines. Getting 150 miles closer every day. The fishing boat Ron Kirby 2 is almost 100 miles from Infanta, its home port. NARRATOR: With good catches and calm seas, Aldrin and his crew head further from shore into the warm waters of the Philippines Sea. MAN: It's just explodes after this, so that's all I'm going to go with. NARRATOR: In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for Lieutenant Fine, the latest satellite images of Kammuri are attracting close scrutiny. In storms of this power, clouds are pushed so high above the earth, they freeze. FINE: You have warm, moist air at the ground, and that air rises. As that air rises, it cools and then condenses and then it rises further and it rises so high that it will actually freeze. NARRATOR: Infrared images captured by the US Navy show that Kammuri has hit a new extreme. At its cloud tops it's 164.9 degrees below zero, the lowest temperature ever documented on earth. It's an ominous clue to Typhoon Kammuri's dormant power. MORGERMAN: I'm driving down east coast of the Bicol region in the Philippines. NARRATOR: American storm chaser Josh Morgerman is back in the Philippines, acting on a hunch that Typhoon Kammuri will turn into a monster storm. MORGERMAN: The Philippines Sea has magical properties. Any cyclone that goes into it usually turns into a monster. Now super typhoon Haiyan, I didn't get inside the calm eye, and that's the part that has the meaningful scientific data, that's where we measure the air pressure and stuff like that. In Kammuri, I'm going to get it. I'm heading toward Tabaco City or Legazpi City. I'm thinking that's where the center of typhoon Kammuri is going to come ashore. PEREZ: So good morning. Today is the first day of December and it's 7:00am here. So I'm actually, it's a Sunday, I am actually off duty but we are required to report to work, especially when we have a tropical cyclone that is threatening the country. NARRATOR: Typhoon Kammuri is expected to make landfall tomorrow night. Where it will hit is less certain. PEREZ: The typhoon is expected to move generally west, but we're not ruling out the possibility that the typhoon may also move more to the north or more to the south. This cone of uncertainty. projected course cuts straight across the Philippines' busiest shipping lanes. More Filipinos are employed as seamen than any other nationality. NARRATOR: For Aldrin's crew, fishing has been good. But their boats are ill equipped for stormy seas. The risk of costly damage, or worse, is now too great for them to carry on. NARRATOR: Kammuri is growing. As it moves west at over 300 miles a day, powerful storm force winds are being felt more than 100 miles from its center. For the country's meteorologists, there's no let up. Typhoons can hit the Philippines all year round. PEREZ: We have monitored about 21 tropical cyclones already this year. NARRATOR: In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan revealed the Philippines unique vulnerability. In a country formed of thousands of islands, there's no escape from the devastating floods that follow the wind. AYDLETT: The main killing feature of Haiyan was not so much the winds but it was the storm surge. NARRATOR: As typhoons approach from the sea, their powerful winds drive a wall of water onshore. AYDLETT: I think describing a storm surge as a tsunami in a typhoon is a fairly good way to explain it. Over the coming years and decades, every inch of increased sea level will make coastal areas more susceptible to flooding or large wave events. NARRATOR: When a typhoon threatens, all fishing boats are ordered to report to their home port. (speaking in native language). In Infanta, Aldrin must register Ron Kirby 2 and find a safe mooring to weather the storm. NARRATOR: PAGASA is in a race to warn the public about an impact that now seems inevitable. PEREZ: Over these past 12 or 24 hours it has moved faster than we have anticipated, and as of the weather bulletin this morning, we expect this one to cause significant or catastrophic damage. MAN: Nice day. NARRATOR: In an area they call Typhoon Alley, as a new storm builds in menace, cameras supplied by to weather experts and marine workers, capture the countdown to impact. NARRATOR: In the Philippines, coast guards clear the beaches as all maritime activity is suspended. The biggest typhoon of the year is due to strike tonight. PEREZ (over PA): In some parts of the Becol region and Andora area and some parts of (inaudible). NARRATOR: As with all typhoons to hit the country, Kammuri is given a Filipino name, Tisoy. 140 kilometers to our... NARRATOR: At PAGASA, data from satellites is a valuable tool in their efforts to issue the most accurate weather warnings, but on its own, it's not enough. SORIANO: We can't get the full intensity of the typhoon based alone on satellite images. This is just one portion of everything that is happening because you know forecasting is still forecasting, it's not 100% science. NARRATOR: Willy Tuazon is one of PAGASA's specialist team of storm observers. Their unique role is to get as close to a typhoon as possible to gather live data. NARRATOR: It's a vital job that carries a big risk. NARRATOR: While observing Typhoon Haiyan, one of the team lost their life. Kammuri is now just 150 miles from the coast, and growing in strength. (speaking in native language) NARRATOR: As its wind speeds increase to 105 miles per hour, it hits typhoon category two, and Kammuri is showing signs that it will go on growing. NARRATOR: The eye is a clearing at the center of the storm's vortex, and the seat of its power. NARRATOR: Kammuri is becoming a monster. Its powerful storm force winds stretch 100 miles in every direction from its 30 mile wide eye. The storm is expected to slam into southern Luzon, threatening the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco. Willy's chosen a vantage point on the City Hall for a clear view of the typhoon's approach. NARRATOR: The destructive potential of category two storms is ten times greater than at low category one. (siren) As the outer bands of winds arrive, a siren warns the city of Tabaco to prepare for the worst. NARRATOR: Impact is expected in just three hours. SORIANO: Everyone here in the operation, we thought that this one will weaken, but then we're all wrong, it strengthened. The Ron Kirby 2's home port of Infanta is in the path of the typhoon's vast wind field. First mate, Aldrin's priority is to make the boat secure. NARRATOR: In typhoon Haiyan, thousands of fishermen lost their livelihoods when their boats were destroyed. If the boat is left unmanned, there's a risk that it will tear loose of its mooring. Aldrin needs a member of his crew to stay aboard, to keep it secure. NARRATOR: The youngest crew member, Christopher is already an old hand at the job. NARRATOR: Christopher will stay with the boat to weather the storm and to keep our camera with him, while Aldrin must look after his family. Sole responsibility for the Ron Kirby 2 rests with Christopher. PEREZ: We had some of our radar meteorologists analyze the recent image and it shows that the norther part of Samar is just about 40 kilometers away from the eyewall of the storm. Now, the eyewall's the area with the most rains, heaviest rains and the strongest wind. And we are expecting more rains to pour in, as this typhoon moves west. We expect really some damage over that area. NARRATOR: The Philippines most populated region is being prepared for the worst. PEREZ: We already have a storm signal number two over Metro Manila and we're expecting a higher warning signal to be hoisted, not only over Metro Manila, but in the neighboring provinces as well. NARRATOR: Storm chaser, Josh Morgerman, has arrived at the city of Legazpi. MORGERMAN: Legazpi City just before nightfall. Typhoon Kammuri is coming in this direction and this place is gonna get hit hard. the biggest typhoon of the season is hours from impact. The National Weather Agency, PAGASA, is on an emergency footing. PEREZ: I've been working for about 24 hours already. I am planning to stay here until tomorrow. We need to show that we have enough working bodies here at the office. NARRATOR: Drawing up energy from an area of extremely warm ocean, Kammuri is about to become more powerful than any storm to hit the Philippines this year. Just hours from striking land with Tabaco City and Legazpi City firmly in its cross hairs, it leaps in strength to category three. MYERS: And this is going to be a 205 KPH storm as it goes over Legazpi City. MORGERMAN: Legazpi City, 7:25 pm. The wind is absolutely pounding this hotel. When I'm storm chasing, there's two things I need from a hotel. One is that it's a good location, so I can observe the storm and the other is that it's not gonna come crashing down at the height of the storm. Typhoon is probably another hour or two away, the inner core, but I think this one's gonna be really, really serious. Gonna go outside, take a look. NARRATOR: In Tabaco City, Willie's observation team records gusts of 150 miles per hour. GILE: Oh, our emergency broadcast has sounded. They issued a red rainfall warning over the provinces who are in the eyewall just hit. PEREZ: Most of us are very worried about the possible casualties. NARRATOR: As Kammuri pummels the town, phone contact with PAGASA HQ is lost. (waves crashing). NARRATOR: In the darkness, a ten-foot storm surge smashes ashore. Kammuri has made another leap in strength. With wind speeds now at 130 miles per hour, it hits category four. In the past 24 hours, its damage potential has become 100 times greater. NARRATOR: With gusts over 150 miles per hour, even the most solidly constructed buildings in Legazpi are now under assault. MAN: Okay, come on, quick, quick. (wind) MORGERMAN: And then all of a sudden, you hear it start to die down. That means, mission accomplished. We're in the eye of typhoon Kammuri. Even though the winds have died down, the ocean is nuts. You can feel the walls rattling, there's waves smashing into the building. The crazy thing is, we're only halfway through the storm and I know the backside, those winds on the other side of the storm are gonna come rushing in in any minute, like a sledgehammer. And we're back in the typhoon. We're going into the eyewall at the back side of it. The eye of the storm is encircled by the eyewall, a band of Kammuri's most powerful winds. We've now lost power, the generators are out and we're in the, we're deep in the eyewall of this nasty typhoon in the dark. Folks look concerned. NARRATOR: As the storm moves over Legazpi, its vast wind fields draw closer to fishing boat, Ron Kirby 2. ALDRIN: 4:58... NARRATOR: Category four typhoon Kammuri has been blasting a path across the Philippines. The city of Legazpi bore the full impact of the storm's eyewall. After four hours of violent winds that topped 130 miles per hour, the city awakes to a trail of destruction and the most damaging effects are still to come. As the storm surge recedes, flood waters from a foot of rainfall are swamping the town. A Typhoon Kammuri is ripping across southeastern Luzan. WEATHERMAN (over TV): Largest storm on our planet right now making its way through the areas of the central provinces of the Philippines. far from finished. The Philippines is a mass of islands, allowing typhoons an endless supply of the warm ocean water that fuels them. Rather than lose energy when they pass over land, here, typhoons can recharge and grow more powerful. NARRATOR: Now, it's Infanta's turn to be lashed by 120 mile per hour winds. While fishermen are locked down in their homes. Aboard the Ron Kirby 2, 18-year-old, Christopher, has one of our cameras running. NARRATOR: Christopher is under orders to make sure the boats on which the livelihoods of the entire crew depend isn't torn from its moorings during the storm. NARRATOR: Drawing force from the inland seas, Kammuri is still category three typhoon. And getting closer by the hour. 170 miles south, Willie's observation team is moving out of Tabaco City. To start their assessment of the storm's impact, they head to the place that bore the brunt of its power. NARRATOR: This beach was Ground Zero for Kammuri in the Philippines, the point of first impact. The sea defenses were no match for its category four winds and the ten-foot wall of water forced onshore. reports from across the country start to reveal Kammuri's impact on the Philippines and most important of all, the cost in lives. PEREZ: The thing that we're looking for is the zero casualty scenario and that would be probably one of the greatest rewards that we can ever have here in PAGASA, you know, like achieve a zero casualty status. NARRATOR: The team has been on 24-7 storm watch, but finally, the end is in sight. PEREZ: We have here the latest animation showing that Tisoy is expected to exit the country tomorrow early morning. Kammuri's assault on the Philippines lasted 36 hours. The 20th and most powerful typhoon to enter Philippine waters this year. It claimed 17 lives. Fisherman Aldrin, is heading to Infanta. He and his crew are eager to get back to work, so long as their boat and youngest crewman survived. The Philippines is by far, absolutely the world's hot spot for violent tropical cyclones, it's unlike anywhere else. But for these folks living here, unfortunately, they know that before they're even done cleaning up after this one, another one's coming. Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.