0:00:02 > 0:00:04'Coming up on Fierce Earth...
0:00:04 > 0:00:07'The biggest wave on the planet - the tsunami.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10'Terrifying power...'
0:00:10 > 0:00:13I feel like I am in a big washing machine.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15'..catastrophic devastation...'
0:00:15 > 0:00:17These houses are all demolished.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19'..incredible escapes.'
0:00:19 > 0:00:21One of these things could save your life.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24'The tsunami is the wave of nightmares.'
0:00:27 > 0:00:31What happens when the ground shakes, the seas rise up
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and the air tears itself apart?
0:00:34 > 0:00:36The Fierce Earth team move in,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39taking on the most powerful forces on the planet.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Get ready for Fierce Earth -
0:00:58 > 0:01:00the earth and how to survive it.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Tsunamis are one of the most destructive forces on the planet.
0:01:07 > 0:01:08These giant waves have been around
0:01:08 > 0:01:10as long as humans have,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14but it's only recently that their impact has been recorded on camera
0:01:14 > 0:01:16with such terrifying intensity.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Normal waves are small and caused by the wind and the tides.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Landslides or earthquakes can cause tsunamis by
0:01:25 > 0:01:28suddenly displacing a large amount of water.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32This creates a wave that starts small and can travel across
0:01:32 > 0:01:34the ocean at over 500 miles per hour -
0:01:34 > 0:01:36as fast as a jet plane.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39When the wave hits the shallower water of the coast,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43it slows down, but squeezes up, getting higher and higher.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45It's now a tsunami.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The giant wave pulls back the water in front of it as it builds.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52From the beach, this looks like the tide suddenly going out -
0:01:52 > 0:01:55this is called drawback, one of the early warning signs
0:01:55 > 0:01:58that a tsunami is on its way.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02So how can water be so destructive?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04It's essential for life.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08We drink it every day, it falls on us as rain and it flows
0:02:08 > 0:02:10over us in the shower.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14It seems like it should weigh nothing at all.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18So where does a giant wave of water get its power?
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Clare is in Lancashire to find out.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25If you've ever picked up a big bucket of water,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27you'll know how heavy it can be.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Just imagine a huge bucket and how much that would weigh.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Well, imagine no more.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35To witness the power of water,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38simply take one shed,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40one digger,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42one very big bag of water
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and mix them all together.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47All right, Paddy, take it away.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The shed doesn't stand a chance.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05This big bag holds three quarters of a ton of water. In free fall,
0:03:05 > 0:03:10it accelerates to over 30 kph within a second of being dropped.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14It's like being hit by a small car travelling at that speed.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18A tsunami is like thousands of cars racing into the shore.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24The Pacific Ocean is surrounded by volcanoes and earthquake zones -
0:03:24 > 0:03:27this is known as the Ring of Fire.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32The earthquakes cause tsunamis, so 80% of all giant waves occur around
0:03:32 > 0:03:35the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39In recent history, the top three most devastating tsunamis
0:03:39 > 0:03:41on the Pacific Rim are:
0:03:41 > 0:03:45In 3rd place, the Japanese tsunami of 2011.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50Nearly 20,000 people lost their lives and the cost was estimated to
0:03:50 > 0:03:53equal 200 billion pounds.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57In 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa in Indonesia exploded
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and displaced a huge amount of water.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03The resulting tsunami was 40m high
0:04:03 > 0:04:08and nearly 40,000 people perished.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11But the most devastating tsunami in history was
0:04:11 > 0:04:13the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It was generated by an undersea earthquake off the
0:04:16 > 0:04:19coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The quake sent tsunami waves out in all directions.
0:04:22 > 0:04:2514 countries on the edge the Indian Ocean were
0:04:25 > 0:04:29hit, including Thailand, India and Sri Lanka.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Around 250,000 people died.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36But even in an event as catastrophic as the Boxing Day
0:04:36 > 0:04:39tsunami, there are stories of survival.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46In Surrey, I meet a girl who became a tsunami hero that day.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Back in 2004, ten-year-old Tilly Smith was looking forward to her
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Christmas holiday in Thailand.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57In one of the last Geography lessons of the year, the teacher had played a
0:04:57 > 0:05:01video about tsunamis. That lesson would save her life
0:05:01 > 0:05:03and those of many others.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Her story starts off like any other holiday.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Can you take me back to that day on Boxing Day, 2004?
0:05:11 > 0:05:16We woke up around eight o'clock, so a normal sort of early morning.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17We'd just had Christmas...
0:05:17 > 0:05:23and my mum and dad said, "Let's go for walk on the beach."
0:05:23 > 0:05:26We had a massive stretch of beach along by our hotel.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28The tide was really far in
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and I remember thinking that was really strange.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Did you think at that point something was up?
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Yeah, I kept seeing froth and the tide kept coming in and it wasn't
0:05:37 > 0:05:38going back out, just coming in and in
0:05:38 > 0:05:42and further up this steep sand bank.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47And then I remembered, because I watched a video a few weeks before
0:05:47 > 0:05:51on a tsunami that my teacher had shown me in my Geography lesson,
0:05:51 > 0:05:52and I could just tell the same signs
0:05:52 > 0:05:55were happening there as to what I was seeing.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59I remember screaming at my mum, saying, "We've got to go,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01"there is going to be a tsunami."
0:06:01 > 0:06:05She wouldn't listen to me and I was crying, screaming at her, saying,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08"I know there's going be a tsunami, let's go."
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Really scared that she wasn't going to listen and carry on
0:06:11 > 0:06:14walking, she was determined to keep walking.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Tilly finally got her mum back to the hotel and told her dad that
0:06:18 > 0:06:23a tsunami was on the way. He told a security guard, who raised the alarm.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27In some places around the Indian Ocean,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29the tsunami had already hit.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Devastating waves up to 20 metres high,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34reaching three kilometres inland.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Tilly's resort in Thailand was next.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43I just remember then just turning around and seeing this massive wall
0:06:43 > 0:06:45of water just reaching out of the sea.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50But thanks to Tilly's quick thinking, many people were able to get off
0:06:50 > 0:06:52the beach before the tsunami wave arrived.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Thank goodness I watched that video, because otherwise I wouldn't have
0:06:58 > 0:07:00had a clue what was going on and
0:07:00 > 0:07:04wouldn't have been able to tell the security guard and everyone else.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Tilly was hailed as a hero, even meeting Bill Clinton,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11the ex-president of the USA.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15She returned to Thailand on the first anniversary of the tsunami
0:07:15 > 0:07:17to speak at the memorial ceremony.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20"It was not tragedy, nor despair that prevailed,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25"but the human courage that shone more golden than the golden sun
0:07:25 > 0:07:29"and the human heart, far deeper than all the waters of the world."
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Tilly Smith survived because she had learned the early warning signs
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and stayed alert.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41In some countries, giant waves are such a huge threat that
0:07:41 > 0:07:44tsunami survival lessons are part of everyday school life.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Zoe is in Japan to find out more.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57I've come to Kamaishi, home to 40,000 people.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Many of the families now live in temporary homes.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04That's because it's one of the port towns that bore the full force
0:08:04 > 0:08:07of the one of the biggest tsunamis in history.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13On the 11th March 2011, a violent earthquake off the coast of Japan
0:08:13 > 0:08:15lifted a huge area of the sea floor,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19dislodging an enormous body of water.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It created the wave that became a tsunami.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It was up to 40m high, and in places it travelled
0:08:26 > 0:08:30six miles inland, destroying everything in its path.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39The devastation here in Kamaishi was massive.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Two years ago, I would have been surrounded by shops and houses.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Now, nothing. In fact, the vegetation is taking over.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49It's like many towns that were hit by the tsunami,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51but Kamaishi has a special story to tell.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59This building was left standing.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Scoured by the wave that covered the first two floors,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07it takes a moment to realise it was once a nursery school.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Up and down the coast, just a few miles from here,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12thousands of children died.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15But in this town, over 99% of the children survived.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17They call it the Miracle of Kamaishi.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24So what happened? What made Kamaishi different?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Thanks to the miracle, there are children alive today who
0:09:27 > 0:09:31can tell us. They go to this temporary school.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35The old building was destroyed by the tsunami they escaped.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40Ten-year-olds, Mao and Mana, were finishing school on 11th March 2011
0:09:40 > 0:09:44when, at a quarter to three, a huge earthquake shook the school -
0:09:44 > 0:09:48the warning sign that a tsunami could be on the way.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51So, girls, your school was over there,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53there is literally nothing left now.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56When the earthquake happened, that's where you were.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58What had you been told to do?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- TRANSLATION:- When the earthquake came, we got under the desks
0:10:01 > 0:10:02as we'd been taught.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- TRANSLATION:- Then we tried to walk to the third floor,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08but another teacher told us the secondary school kids had
0:10:08 > 0:10:11already run uphill, so we followed them.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16So can you show me where you went?
0:10:16 > 0:10:19The children knew from their training that the earthquake may
0:10:19 > 0:10:21have triggered a tsunami.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24They didn't know it yet, but they were right.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29Out at sea, an enormous wall of water was racing towards them.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32The class headed for an official tsunami assembly point.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35These blue posts are all over the Kamaishi area
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and high enough to be safe from a tsunami.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42But the nearest post was a long way from the school.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45The girls found children and teachers gathering at a building
0:10:45 > 0:10:49that wasn't as far to walk to. Or as high.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53By now it was gone three o'clock and the tsunami was just minutes away.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56So this has stopped at 3:30,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59which was exactly the time the tsunami came rushing through here,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01these houses are all demolished.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04And you must have just left, why did you keep on running?
0:11:04 > 0:11:09- TRANSLATION:- At first, we stopped here, then an old woman said,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12"This cliff has collapsed because of the earthquake
0:11:12 > 0:11:14"and a tsunami may come."
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- TRANSLATION:- So we listened to what the old woman said and decided to
0:11:18 > 0:11:20climb higher up the hill.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25There were, by now, over 500 children and teachers on the road.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29In the confusion of the evacuation, the tsunami training had been in
0:11:29 > 0:11:31danger of being forgotten.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35The girls knew now that they had to reach the official tsunami post
0:11:35 > 0:11:37up high to be sure of being safe.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42And not a moment too soon.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Not long after everyone got there, the tsunami rolled in.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50This is where you stopped and I can see down there,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53where there used to be full of houses, but the tsunami
0:11:53 > 0:11:55came rushing in.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- GIRL:- I could see the wave.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01It went "splash".
0:12:03 > 0:12:06I can't imagine what it must have been like to watch my home town
0:12:06 > 0:12:07being hit by a tsunami.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13The Miracle of Kamaishi happened because children remembered what
0:12:13 > 0:12:15they'd been taught to do in an emergency.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26No-one knows when the next tsunami will rise up out of this sea.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29But the children who were here on the 11th March 2011
0:12:29 > 0:12:32will tell their children how they survived.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34And they, in turn, will tell their children...
0:12:34 > 0:12:37so the people of Kamaishi will be ready.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40"Just run! Run uphill!"
0:12:40 > 0:12:42"Don't worry about the others.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44"Save yourself first.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47"And tell the future generations that a tsunami once
0:12:47 > 0:12:48"reached this point,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50"and that those who survived were those who ran.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55"Uphill. So run! Run uphill!"
0:12:57 > 0:13:00The Japanese have lived with tsunamis for centuries
0:13:00 > 0:13:04and are always looking at new ways to beat the tsunami threat.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Dougal is in Tokyo, the capital of Japan,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13to test out the latest life-saving invention.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Japan is famous for its innovation.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Comics, fashion, video games and vending machines
0:13:28 > 0:13:29that sell everything.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34There's no idea the Japanese won't try to improve on.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38So is it any wonder, that with a threat as huge as a tsunami,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42the Japanese have come up with a solution that is eye-catching,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44creative and utterly unique?
0:13:47 > 0:13:51The brand-new Tsunami Escape Pod.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54A super-tough, reinforced plastic sphere,
0:13:54 > 0:13:58designed to ride out the most terrifying waves on the planet.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03The ball-shape means debris slides off and it's able to withstand
0:14:03 > 0:14:0712 tons of pressure, or three elephants standing on it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11It's the latest, greatest and certainly the most unusual tool
0:14:11 > 0:14:14for tsunami survival.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Surely I can't be expected to test drive this?!
0:14:19 > 0:14:24The idea behind the Noah Pod is, when you hear the tsunami warning,
0:14:24 > 0:14:29you climb inside and ride out the wave in the super-strong ball.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33It's a bit like the black-box recorder on an aircraft,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36but one that you and your family can climb inside,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38a little bit like this toy inside here.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40It sounds like a tight squeeze.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46And scary. But after the tsunami of 2011, some 700 families here on
0:14:46 > 0:14:51the coast of Japan have paid the equivalent of £3,000 for one.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57Mr and Mrs Kojima are proud owners of a shiny new tsunami pod.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59As is traditional in Japanese homes,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02I have to take my shoes off at the door.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05The pods can seat up to four people.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10The Kojimas really do plan to climb into this giant ball and, hopefully,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12ride out any tsunami.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15They've even got a survival bag packed that could keep them going
0:15:15 > 0:15:18for several days, while they wait to be rescued.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19Bags for the toilet.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21SPEAKS JAPANESE
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Pocket oxy... Oxygen. Wow!
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Even oxygen in a can, should you be in the pod
0:15:30 > 0:15:33for a bit longer than you need to.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Radio...radio that doesn't need batteries.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40You have got yourself a little survival kit,
0:15:40 > 0:15:45everything you'd need to keep you going until you get rescued.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46Can I take a look inside?
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Not much inside, and I really wonder what it would be like,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52crashing around in a wave.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I guess there's only one way to find out, and that is for real.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01I'm about to get a small taste of what it's like inside
0:16:01 > 0:16:05the tsunami pod where it's supposed to be used - in water.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Surely this is something Leo should be doing?
0:16:10 > 0:16:14The symbols on the side of the tsunami pod mean love, life,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18power and soul. I'm going to need all four for this because I'm going
0:16:18 > 0:16:21to be towed around the harbour behind a boat.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Let's hope the pod really is waterproof!
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I couldn't imagine how this must feel if you had sat through
0:16:30 > 0:16:33an earthquake and...
0:16:33 > 0:16:37you have no idea just how long
0:16:37 > 0:16:40it might be before a big wall of water hits you.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46It is a bit of a squeeze.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49You can imagine trying to do this in... Ooh!
0:16:49 > 0:16:52..real conditions. Oh, wow!
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It's a bit of a tight squeeze in here, it really is.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I have got a pole to hold onto.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Right, I'd better get locked up, see you guys on the other side.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14MUFFLED SPEECH
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I'm completely upside down here.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21Oh! I'm floating.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28I can just about see the harbour...moving around,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I can hear the waves now.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I feel a little bit like I'm in a big washing machine.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48I'm having trouble with just me in the ball.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53Imagine sharing it with family, friends, or even your pet dog.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56BUMP
0:17:56 > 0:18:00In a real tsunami, hardly being able to see out of my pod
0:18:00 > 0:18:01would be terrifying.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02BUMP
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Whoa, here we go.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Terra firma.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08'What would that bump be?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11'Help arriving, or a car landing on top of me?'
0:18:15 > 0:18:19So we're back on terra firma, the earth,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23and I have to say, actually, that was quite a lot of fun.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26But there is a reality behind this and that is survival.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Would this be the most comfortable place if a massive wave hit me now -
0:18:30 > 0:18:32I don't think so.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35But if a big earthquake has just hit and a massive tsunami's
0:18:35 > 0:18:39on its way, this tiny, little plastic survival sphere
0:18:39 > 0:18:42could really increase your chances.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I think I'd take those odds.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49If you find yourself in the path of an incoming tsunami
0:18:49 > 0:18:53and you don't have your very own tsunami escape pod, all is not lost.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58In today's Fierce Earth challenge,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Leo travels to Florida to attempt a last ditch escape route.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06I know all about life on the edge.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11I've climbed to the top of the world's highest mountain...
0:19:11 > 0:19:13frozen in the Antarctic...
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and parachuted off the planet's biggest cliffs.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22- But even- I- need a day off now and then.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Standing here on a perfect beach, it's easy to see why tsunamis
0:19:25 > 0:19:28catch so many people by surprise, especially holidaymakers.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30One minute you're enjoying an ice lolly,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34the next minute you're fighting for your life.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Remember the two early warning signs that a tsunami might be on the way -
0:19:38 > 0:19:40first, an earthquake that could be
0:19:40 > 0:19:43setting the wave in motion out at sea.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44Second, drawback.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47When the water suddenly goes right out to sea,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50leaving just a huge expanse of beach.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53When the drawback occurs, and the shoreline recedes,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55you could have just minutes to get out of the way.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59If there's no hills and no buildings, then this may be your last resort.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Could a palm tree really save your life?
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Palm trees are often the only thing left standing on beaches
0:20:04 > 0:20:07that have been swept clean by tsunamis.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08They're not the most solid of trees,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11but that turns out to be their strength.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15When that massive weight of rushing water hits a palm tree,
0:20:15 > 0:20:16it bends and absorbs some of the energy,
0:20:16 > 0:20:21unlike man-made things like lamp posts that are rigid and snap.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Round trunks and no branches mean even less surface area to resist
0:20:25 > 0:20:29the water, so the tsunami flows around the palm tree.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32When the wave hits, a palm tree could be your only chance to
0:20:32 > 0:20:34get high and stay dry.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Monkeys can do it. So why not humans?
0:20:39 > 0:20:43My six-metre palm tree is set up with full safety rigging.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- Trying this without professional help...- Hi!
0:20:46 > 0:20:48..could be as dangerous as facing a tsunami.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Do not try it yourself at home, or on holiday.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55So this is my palm tree and this is how you climb it.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57First of all, you have got to make sure you get all
0:20:57 > 0:21:01the sand off your feet, it's really important when you climb anything.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Basically, this is called lay backing, you just push against the
0:21:05 > 0:21:10tree with your feet, pull with your arms and walk up it like a monkey.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13If you get tired, you can clamp your feet on it like that
0:21:13 > 0:21:14and have a little rest.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19And then when you're ready, push out again
0:21:19 > 0:21:21and carry on walking up the tree.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30So that's how you climb a palm tree on a nice sunny day.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33But what if your life depends on it?
0:21:33 > 0:21:35This time I'm going to try it against the clock.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Imagine the sea's just rushed out and there's a tsunami on the way.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Every second counts.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Ready? Three, two, one... Go!
0:21:50 > 0:21:51Time!
0:21:51 > 0:21:546.9 seconds.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Getting down... It's just like a fireman's pole.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Your biggest worry coming down is splinters!
0:22:01 > 0:22:05As I said, don't try this yourself - you really could get hurt.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Seven seconds, not bad.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09So, yes, a palm tree could save your life.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Hopefully, the early warning systems would give you a chance
0:22:12 > 0:22:15to get to higher ground, but if there is a tsunami on the horizon,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17as a last resort, you can climb one of these things,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19to try and get out of the way.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Six metres.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24Six steps.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Seven seconds.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Beat that, monkey!
0:22:31 > 0:22:35With every tsunami that strikes, we learn more about them
0:22:35 > 0:22:37and how technology can help us survive.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Dougal visits an island in Italy, Stromboli, that's trying to stay
0:22:42 > 0:22:45a step ahead of the tsunami threat.
0:22:49 > 0:22:5230th of December 2002. A tsunami hit the island of Stromboli
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and caught the inhabitants totally by surprise.
0:22:56 > 0:23:02Even more so, because they lived on the very thing that caused the wave.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And that's because the island of Stromboli is a volcano!
0:23:07 > 0:23:12Stromboli has been erupting almost continuously for 2,000 years.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15The lava emissions aren't normally dangerous, and a few hundred people
0:23:15 > 0:23:17call the island home.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22The 2002 eruption and undersea quake caused a huge landslide that smashed
0:23:22 > 0:23:27into the sea, displacing a massive body of water and causing a tsunami.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Dramatically, part of the volcano slipped off and crashed
0:23:31 > 0:23:33into the sea, causing a tsunami.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35That wave then went all the way round the island,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38crashed along the coast here and hit these buildings as high
0:23:38 > 0:23:41as we can see here, taking out the restaurants,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43taking out anything in its wake.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Amazingly, nobody died, but three people were quite badly injured,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51two of them from the panic that ensued when the tsunami hit.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Not only do they have to worry about live volcanoes here,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58now they have to worry about tsunamis.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01The damage from the tsunami was extensive and a wake-up call
0:24:01 > 0:24:05for the islanders. An observatory was created to monitor the volcanic
0:24:05 > 0:24:09activity. Special buoys were installed out at sea at the same
0:24:09 > 0:24:14time, and are monitored from the observatory 24 hours a day.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18All of these wiggles here is actually what is happening at sea
0:24:18 > 0:24:20as we are speaking here now.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23If the volcano here was to collapse into the water,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25that would cause a huge wave.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28The buoy would be moved dramatically,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30that would send alarm signals to the base here,
0:24:30 > 0:24:35and people could have vital seconds of warning before such a strike.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Thanks to the observatory, Stromboli now has an early warning system
0:24:38 > 0:24:43which sounds the alarm sirens in a tsunami emergency,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46and they also have an evacuation plan.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49New signs like this tell us tsunami survival,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52as well as volcano survival, is a part of life here on Stromboli.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54"In case of earthquake, strong volcanic explosion,
0:24:54 > 0:24:59"withdrawal of the sea from the coast, siren sounds..."
0:24:59 > 0:25:02These could all be indicators that a tsunami is about the hit
0:25:02 > 0:25:04and this is your escape route.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Up alleys like this to high ground to get away from the wave
0:25:07 > 0:25:09coming from over here at the sea.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Now, the warning might only give you precious seconds,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14but those precious seconds could mean
0:25:14 > 0:25:16the difference between life and death.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26If the worst does happen, there are ways to maximise your chances
0:25:26 > 0:25:28of tsunami survival.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Here's our Fierce Earth guide.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Many areas now have early warning systems.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Look for signs telling you what to do.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Listen for emergency sirens and act on them.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Save yourself, not your possessions.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Even if there is no alarm system in place,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46there are warning signs if you know what to look for.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47Earth tremors.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50The sea suddenly going out.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Water starting to froth and the tide coming in too far.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Remember, the next wave could be bigger!
0:25:57 > 0:26:02If a tsunami is on its way, head for high ground and stay there.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05This is how you maximise your chances of surviving
0:26:05 > 0:26:07the Fierce Earth.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12On the next episode...
0:26:12 > 0:26:13Earthquakes!
0:26:15 > 0:26:17'We train with an international rescue team...'
0:26:17 > 0:26:19All right, here we go!
0:26:19 > 0:26:22'..climb through the folds of the earth...'
0:26:22 > 0:26:23That was the easy bit!
0:26:23 > 0:26:27'..and find out how one city is preparing for the big one.'
0:26:27 > 0:26:28It's an incredible force!
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd