This programme investigates three of the most powerful forces that our planet experiences: earthquakes, avalanches and volcanoes. Earthquakes have killed more than two million people in this century alone. A witness of the 1989 earthquake in Los Angeles describes the chaos that followed the devastating event. We learn about how seismography allows us to predict earthquakes and how modern technology can help us defend against them. Moving to Canada, we meet a victim of an avalanche, which swept down a mountain and swiftly buried her alive. Finally we explore some of the world's more infamous volcanoes, with an eye-witnes account from a holiday-maker who survived a Montserrat explosion and captured the historical moment live on camera. Come and explore these three terrifying and devastating phenomena that can make entire societies extinct.