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The Best Episodes of Mega Disasters

Every episode of Mega Disasters ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Mega Disasters!

The Best Episodes of Mega Disasters

Mega Disasters is an American documentary television series that originally aired from May 23, 2006 to July 2008 on The History Channel. Produced by Creative...

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  1. 8.5/10(10 votes)

    #1 - American Volcano

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    S1:E4

    Mount Rainier is a ticking time bomb that could dwarf the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, sending massive lahars and mudslides toward the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area.

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  2. 8.3/10(8 votes)

    #2 - Volcanic Winter

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    S3:E5

    The largest volcanic eruption of the past two million years occurred on the Indonesian island of Sumatra some 75,000 years ago. The impact from the supervolcano Mount Toba decimated the local habitat, but gas, ash and debris from Toba made their way around the planet and formed a shield in the atmosphere that deflected the sun's warming rays. Temperatures plummeted and the planet was thrown into a volcanic winter and may have even pushed the planet into an ice age. 3-D computer animation will recreate the storm and unveil how this one volcano could have brought humanity to the edge of extinction.

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  3. 7.8/10(7 votes)

    #3 - Earthquake in the Heartland

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    S1:E6

    The New Madrid Fault could reawaken at any time and destroy St. Louis, Missouri and Memphis, Tennessee, like the New Madrid Earthquake of 1811-12.

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  4. 7.8/10(14 votes)

    #4 - Yellowstone Eruption

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    S1:E7

    Yellowstone National Park lies on top of a magma chamber that is 35-miles wide, waiting to erupt. (For further information, see Yellowstone Caldera.)

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  5. 7.8/10(9 votes)

    #5 - East Coast Tsunami

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    S1:E9

    Cumbre Vieja, a volcano on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, off the northwestern coast of Africa, may potentially collapse in the future. If it does, a massive tsunami will be headed right for the East coast of the United States, threatening major cities like New York, Boston, Baltimore, and Miami.

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  6. 7.7/10(11 votes)

    #6 - Hypercane

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    S3:E1

    Exploring the possibility that a hypercane (a theoretical super hurricane) may have hit Earth billions of years ago and destroyed most of the life on the planet.

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Mega Disasters

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  8. 7.6/10(9 votes)

    #7 - Windy City Tornado

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    S1:E8

    The possibility of a tornado hitting downtown Chicago is the scenario. Included is an examination of the 1967 twister that hit the suburb of Oak Lawn.

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  9. 7.4/10(11 votes)

    #8 - West Coast Tsunami

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    S1:E1

    The United States faces a potential tsunami threat that mirrors the catastrophic Indonesia tsunami of 2004. Just west of the Oregon coast lies the Cascadia subduction zone where the Juan de Fuca Plate is moving under the North American Plate. A major earthquake here could displace enough water to cause a massive wave to impact along the west coast.

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  10. 7.4/10(12 votes)

    #9 - Asteroid Apocalypse

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    S1:E5

    An asteroid hitting the Earth off the coast of Los Angeles is the scenario. Included: the theory that an asteroid strike may have been responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs.

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  11. 7.4/10(6 votes)

    #10 - Toxic Cloud

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    S3:E11

    Chemistry has changed our way of life. From the gasoline in our cars, to the quality of water we drink, to the furniture we sit on. But with modern industry come hazards and risk, including potentially the explosive release of a dangerous chemical. Could a Toxic Cloud be the next mega disaster?

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  12. 7.2/10(6 votes)

    #11 - Prehistoric English Superflood

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    S3:E12

    Could the island nation of Great Britain have once been connected to Europe by land? Listen to a new theory and evidence which suggests that the English Channel was created by one of the largest floods ever. Did a violent storm re-shape the European continent? Might this happen again? Dramatic 3-D animations recreate what this prehistoric mega storm may have looked like and unravel the mystery behind the creation of England.

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  13. 7.1/10(9 votes)

    #12 - Mega Freeze

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    S1:E12

    The possible effects of extreme climate changes around the world in a short period of time are examined. Included: how drought altered the Mayan civilization.

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  14. 6.9/10(13 votes)

    #13 - Tornado Alley Twister

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    S1:E2

    How a major tornado would impact Dallas is examined by studying the effect of a twister that struck Oklahoma City on May 4, 1999, killing 43 people and causing $1 billion in damage.

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  15. 6.9/10(10 votes)

    #14 - New York City Hurricane

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    S1:E3

    A Category 3 hurricane hitting New York City is the scenario. Included: a history of hurricanes in the Northeast; and the origins of such storms.

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  16. 6.9/10(14 votes)

    #15 - California's Katrina

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    S1:E13

    The Hurricane Katrina disaster is studied as a model to examine what might happen if Sacramento's levee system failed and a similar tragedy resulted.

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  17. 6.9/10(8 votes)

    #16 - Dam Break

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    S3:E6

    Modern dams are marvels of engineering but after decades of neglect the U.S. infrastructure is in crisis and by 2020, 85% of U.S. dams may be near their breaking point. When the South Fork Dam near Johnstown, Pennsylvania gave way in a storm in 1889, killing 2200 people, it was the worst disaster in U.S. history. Today, with millions of Americans living nearby massive dams, the result of a failure could be catastrophic.

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  18. 6.8/10(6 votes)

    #17 - San Francisco Earthquake

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    S1:E10

    This special-edition episode examines what happened in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and its effect on San Francisco and looks at the destruction if it were to happen again today.

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  19. 6.7/10(15 votes)

    #18 - Mega Tsunami

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    S3:E2

    In 6,000 BC, 8,000 years before the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, a paleotsunami whose waves reach taller than the Statue of Liberty allegedly was generated by a landslide from Mount Etna and ravaged the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, devastating ancient villages and killing untold numbers. A team of scientists pieces together evidence of this megatsunami and reveals the face of this ancient tsunami for the first time. 3-D computer generated animation recreates the massive waves that may have changed the course of history.

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  20. 6.5/10(15 votes)

    #19 - Noah's Great Flood

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    S3:E3

    About 8,000 years ago, rain squalls had global oceans surging. The oceans rose above all of the earth. When the flood was over the Mediterranean Sea had claimed a landmass twice the size of Ireland. This prehistoric mega-storm was the greatest natural disaster in human history. 3-D computer animation will recreate what this lethal flood may have looked like.

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  21. 6.4/10(14 votes)

    #20 - Comet Storm

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    S3:E4

    Around 65 million years ago, a massive asteroid crashed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Nearly 75% of all life on earth vanished. But could a single asteroid have been the lone killer? Theories about what happened after the impact have been speculated on by the entire scientific community. Ranging from global warming to lethal worldwide firestorms, ideas have been put forth, but none have been proven. Then in 1995 a new theory claimed that a powerful mega-storm known as a hypercane caused the extinction. The hypercane allegedly reaches 20 miles into the stratosphere and has wind speeds of up to 500 miles per hour. 3-D computer graphics will reveal how this storm could have brought down nearly all life on the planet.

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  22. 6.2/10(12 votes)

    #21 - Glow Train Catastrophe

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    S3:E7

    The U.S. Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission plan to transport 77,000 tons of nuclear waste to a permanent storage facility 950 feet below Nevada's Yucca Mountain. If the plan goes through, much of the cargo will travel through Las Vegas, making an accident there a very disturbing possibility. If history has taught us anything, it's that transporting dangerous goods can sometimes have catastrophic results. Take a look at the potential disaster that such a rail accident would have in Las Vegas.

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  23. 6.2/10(7 votes)

    #22 - Airborne Attack

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    S3:E8

    Anthrax is the most feared of all the biological weapons--spores entering the body through the lungs are lethal. In 2001, a simple letter, sent through the US mail, paralyzed a nation, when anthrax spores were found inside. Experts predict that anthrax released over a populated area would result in unprecedented loss of life--a few pounds of anthrax released under the right conditions could kill hundreds of thousands of people. Will anthrax be used to create a worldwide disaster?

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  24. 6.2/10(6 votes)

    #23 - Atlantis Apocalypse

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    S3:E10

    The Thera volcanic eruption nearly 4000 years ago at the site of what is now Santorini. Greece, and the resulting tsunami are recalled. Also: speculation regarding another possible eruption.

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  25. 6.1/10(11 votes)

    #24 - Mega Blast

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    S1:E11

    Recalling the 1917 explosion of the ship Mont Blanc in Halifax Harbor, which left almost 2000 people dead and 6000 people homeless. Included: speculation about whether a similar disaster could occur in Boston Harbor.

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  26. NaN/10(0 votes)

    #25 - Gamma Ray Burst

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    S2:E1

    Every few seconds, a supernova emits jets of deadly gamma rays somewhere in the galaxy. If one of these gamma ray bursts should happen sufficiently close to the solar system, all life would perish.

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Best Episodes Summary

"American Volcano" is the best rated episode of "Mega Disasters". It scored 8.5/10 based on 10 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 5/30/2006. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Volcanic Winter".