George embarks on his annual pilgrimage to the "Tornado Alley" area of the central U.S. to guide groups of people who want to witness the brute force of tornadoes in action. Along the way he faces giant hailstones, dust storms and quirky American roadside attractions.
Enlisting the help of fellow storm chaser R.J. Evans, George heads to Arizona to photograph spectacular lightning storms triggered by the desert monsoon season. R.J. however is known as "America's noisiest athiest" for his free-thought radio show... It seems that the gods are intent on striking them down with thunderbolts from the heavens.
In this episode, George explores the deadly Nyiragongo volcano in the Congo jungle but the lava lake dwelling inside it's crater may be the least of his worries as he has to negotiate through armed conflict, a family of gorillas, severe weather and an 11,000 foot hike up the side of the volcano.
Following in the footsteps of the Klondike goldrush, George heads north to the Yukon Territory and Alaska, but it's not gold he's seeking. It's the intense summer wildfires that often plague the area during their 24 hours of daylight. He travels by train, bike, plane and whitewater raft to reach the fires but Mother Nature has other plans for him and doesn't make things easy.
Hurricanes are the largest storms on Earth and George has been through many of them. This year he starts off by getting prepared in a wind tunnel, then he and his chase partner Mark Robinson head to Newfoundland for more wild weather action. Then, it's off to another encounter where the wild wind fans a raging inferno.
2005 seemed to be the year that Earth went wild. Follow George as he brings us back to the site of his hairiest adventures from that year. Whether it's descending into a volcano in the most remote corner of Ethiopia, almost driving into a tornado in Texas or facing down hurricane Katrina, George was right there at ground zero and lived to tell the tale.
Most people's idea of a dream wedding might include a horse drawn carriage and an elaborate ceremony. Not George. Join him as he and his bride to be tie the knot in an unusual and certainly exotic way... On the crater's edge of an erupting volcano in the south Pacific. Forget about catching the bouquet, at this wedding it's all about dodging red hot lava bombs.
Water sustains life on Earth but it can also be one of the most destructive and dangerous elements. In this episode, George investigates the wild side of water in dangerous class 5 river rapids, a flooded cave, and even in the ocean surrounded by massive Great White Sharks.
Winter weather can be even more dangerous than thunderstorms and where else to explore the big chill than at the summit of Mount Washington which has the reputation as being the place with the "Worst weather in the world". There, the winds and ice are on par with a polar expedition and to crank up the extreme factor, George also sees what it's like to combine a hurricane and an ice storm by being frozen completely solid by returning to his favorite wind tunnel, but things don't go smoothly.
Whenever there is unstable snow and gravity, gravity always wins. George travels to the Rocky Mountains to learn about how to stay alive in the back country. He also gets to team up with an avalanche control crew to fire explosives into the mountains to create controlled slides. He even tests the ability of an avalanche rescue dog by being buried in a snow cave.
Although he admits to not being much of a sailor, George climbs aboard a sailing vessel to explore the extreme southern tip of South America (Fin Del Mundo aka the "End of the World"). The waters here are famous for being some of the most treacherous in the world and the entire area is a graveyard of shipwrecks. It's also home to numerous receding glaciers along the edge of the Antarctic ozone hole where the effects of climate change are more & more noticeable...
It ain't worth a thing if it ain't got that spin. The whirling winds of Tornado Alley draw George back like a moth to a flame. This season the tornadoes begin early - in February. Through the season, George follows the big weather from Missouri west to the Dakotas, and dodges the huge, destructive Greensburg tornado in southern Kansas.
Tucked away, high in the mountains of the Caribbean island of Dominica lies a marvel of nature -a lake whose water literally boils and steams like a witch's cauldron. George wants to be the first person in history to rig a rope across the lake and explore it's waters from above...and make it back!!
George travels to the northern wilds of Vancouver Island to find out where the rain goes, by exploring the deep, wet caves that pepper the area. Accompanied by a group of hardcore cavers from Alberta and British Columbia, he descends into four different caves that lead deep into the earth. One requires a 40 meter rappel to enter. Another they enter through a waterfall. On a third, the team carries inflatable kayaks into the cave so they can explore the dark river running deep under the ground.
Linking up with legendary storm chaser Jim Leonard, George flies to Jamaica to track Hurricane Dean. George then travels to Nova Scotia to experience the even bigger turmoil of Hurricane Noel at the iconic Maritime village of Peggy's Cove.
In the Florida Keys, George uses a motorboat, a van and small plane to get up close to waterspouts - the nautical cousins of tornadoes. He also meets some of the 25 million alligators that live in the Sunshine State.
In Hawaii George explores the wild side: diving with Galapagos sharks, ascending to snow-covered Mauna Kea, dental cleaning by Peppermint Cleaner Shrimp, extreme surfing at Banzai Pipeline, getting his boots lit on fire by Kilauea volcano.
In Australia George teams up with storm chaser Jimmy Deguara to witness summer storms in the outback. While in Oz, he dives the magnificent Great Barrier Reef, and explores just how painful is the sting of the venomous Box Jellyfish.
George meets ultra-marathon runners in searing heat of Death Valley and bone-chilling cold of the Yukon. He dog-sleds in snow and meets wild characters like Caveman Bill, who has lived alone in a cave through 12 long cold Yukon winters.
In Italy, George studies avalanches of Dolomite Mountains, meets engineers who keep Venice from sinking, and heads South to explore Italy's explosive volcanoes: Vesuvius, Etna and Stromboli.
On Canada's rugged West Coast, George ice-climbs a frozen waterfall, uses ski-skins to climb Mt.Garibaldi to an alpine lake, visits a storm-watching lodge on British Columbia's Long Beach, home of winter surfing and massive Pacific storms.
George meets President of Iceland Ólafur Grímsson who spearheaded use of geothermal power; visits Blue Lagoon and geysers; explores volcanically active Haimaey Island and climbs an iceberg calving off the glaciers at Vatnajokull Lagoon.
Dust storms can spin off from Africa into the Atlantic and morph into tropical hurricanes that threaten the Caribbean and USA. While searching for Timbuktu's dust storms, George finds adventure in the landscape and culture of West Africa.
In India's monsoon season George wades through waist-deep water in Bombay and leach-filled waterfalls in Goa, finds people being swept away by rivers, and rebuilding bridges. He experiences an intense annual Hindu celebration.
In the Pacific Ring of Fire island of Java, George explores new ash eruptions from Anak Krakatau, whose 1883 eruption shook the world. He travels to Merapi and descends into Kawah Ijen to explore the world's largest lake of sulfuric acid.
In Indonesia George visits massive Komodo Dragons, explores steaming sulfur vents of Papandayan, visits villagers whose town got swept away by Sidoarjo Mudflow, and tackles his toughest climb to date - the very active Semeru Volcano.
Sea levels are rising at an alarming rate and George is heading to Tuvalu, the tiny Pacific Island nation that may just be the first country to be literally wiped off the map by climate change. George lands at the airport in the middle of a torrential downpour, and a local meteorologist tells him the extreme storms and tides plaguing the island are yet another devastating effect of climate change.
On his first-ever expedition to Siberia, host George Kourounis witnesses the alarming effect of melting permafrost, visits a 12,000-year-old dog, and camps out with reindeer herders on the chilliest night of his life.
Ground zero for climate change and at risk of being wiped off the map, George is in Bangladesh during monsoon season to see how resilient and creative locals are adapting to their increasingly hostile environment.
George heads to Newfoundland, Canada, the iceberg capital of the world, for an up-close look at these floating giants from above, from below, and from the very top of a frozen mountain on the move.
George explores Laos to witness a nation entering the modern world. He comes across ancient farming techniques, visits a conservation center that gives elephants a new way of life, and paddles an underground river that holds some timely secrets.
The world’s largest land predator is under threat, and George is heading to Canada’s far north to see how polar bears are coping with their rapidly changing climate.