1
00:00:00,876 --> 00:00:30,567
This series presents information based in

2
00:00:30,567 --> 00:00:36,642
part on theory and conjecture. The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanation,

3
00:00:36,642 --> 00:00:40,398
but not necessarily the only one to the mysteries we will examine.

4
00:00:40,398 --> 00:00:55,743
A powerful hurricane is moving in fast from a hundred miles at sea. In ours, it will

5
00:00:55,743 --> 00:01:22,877
strike land, devastating force. In the face of a hurricane's fury, we are left completely helpless.

6
00:01:26,713 --> 00:01:32,947
From space, a full grown hurricane appears as a giant pinwheel of swirling clouds.

7
00:01:44,936 --> 00:01:49,611
On earth, they are the most violent and frightening of all nature's storms.

8
00:01:55,685 --> 00:02:08,073
Since the 1930s, the daring work of newsreel cameramen has allowed us to glimpse the violent

9
00:02:08,073 --> 00:02:09,033
power of hurricanes.

10
00:02:26,656 --> 00:02:39,883
With little warning, they pound against our coastlines like sledgehammer. In their unpredictable

11
00:02:39,883 --> 00:02:48,195
rage, they lash against anything that stands in their way. The destruction to property is

12
00:02:48,195 --> 00:02:52,271
enormous. They're told in human lives is massive.

13
00:02:56,986 --> 00:03:02,741
Centuries ago, the Indians of the Caribbean worshipped and feared a powerful sky god called

14
00:03:02,741 --> 00:03:10,174
Huracan. Today, the storms we call hurricanes demand an equal respect. They remain the largest,

15
00:03:10,174 --> 00:03:16,408
most powerful storms on earth, and their uncontrolled fury can still inspire both awe and terror.

16
00:03:19,125 --> 00:03:27,437
Tuesday, August 4, 1969, an orbiting weather satellite spots a small patch of turbulence in

17
00:03:27,437 --> 00:03:34,390
the mid-Atlantic. The rainstorm is one of a hundred that form every year over the ocean's

18
00:03:34,390 --> 00:03:41,583
tropical water. The warm sea creates funnels of air that billow up thousands of feet.

19
00:03:41,823 --> 00:03:53,812
The clouds gather together. The earth's rotation gives them spin. A hurricane is born.

20
00:04:02,763 --> 00:04:08,837
On Thursday, August 13, a team of navy hurricane hunters flies directly into the storm.

21
00:04:11,555 --> 00:04:21,065
The air speed is 199. Are we up to the 100th set? I'm going down to 500 feet. Metro,

22
00:04:21,065 --> 00:04:26,500
keep that wind on the way. To pierce into the tranquil eye, they fly low, barely above the water.

23
00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:30,336
Approaching 500 feet, Metro, steady.

24
00:04:30,416 --> 00:04:38,009
Level 500. Signal Metro. Request range and bearing to the high.

25
00:04:41,046 --> 00:04:47,920
Signal Roger. This is the penetration hitting. I am dead ahead. Your escape painting is ready.

26
00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:53,514
Three zero zero. Crew from pilot, we are starting our penetration route. RPM 2600.

27
00:04:53,514 --> 00:04:59,748
RPM 2600. I'm pleased to honor. Engineer, maintain my airspeed at 1029.

28
00:04:59,748 --> 00:05:06,302
Aye, sir. 950. Go ahead, speak to him. We're approaching one of the main bands.

29
00:05:06,302 --> 00:05:11,896
Just like he's a free ride to the soft spot, recommend you go up to 150.

30
00:05:13,175 --> 00:05:19,010
Surface wind is slightly more than a four-quaint, 310 degrees, 120 knots.

31
00:05:19,889 --> 00:05:21,967
Pressure is dropping rapidly.

32
00:05:23,805 --> 00:05:27,162
I'm going to reach 310 to 120 knots down there.

33
00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:35,154
Well, that was a rough one. Finally, in the eye, instruments measure the hurricane's strength

34
00:05:35,154 --> 00:05:39,310
and gauge its size and speed. Pressure temperature and wind, aye.

35
00:05:39,310 --> 00:05:43,786
The early indications are alarming. It is a big storm and still growing.

36
00:05:43,786 --> 00:05:50,180
For more than a week, the storm churns across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean Sea.

37
00:05:50,819 --> 00:05:55,295
There, she lingers, gathering strength. Her final path still unknown.

38
00:05:56,014 --> 00:05:59,371
The third hurricane of the season, she is named Camille.

39
00:06:01,529 --> 00:06:08,242
A hurricane watch goes up along the entire Gulf Coast. No one knows yet exactly where Camille

40
00:06:08,242 --> 00:06:13,117
will strike, but at harvest and marinas everywhere, motorists prepare for the worst.

41
00:06:20,151 --> 00:06:23,827
Suddenly, the message goes out. Camille has made her move.

42
00:06:24,626 --> 00:06:29,821
She's heading directly for the Mississippi coast. Sunday, August 16th.

43
00:06:30,541 --> 00:06:34,777
Advanced winds hit the coastline. Everywhere, people start boarding up.

44
00:06:39,572 --> 00:06:45,726
More than 50,000 people take the advice to leave, to evacuate upstate and find safety inland.

45
00:06:45,726 --> 00:07:01,871
As the hurricane draws closer, there are those who choose to stay behind.

46
00:07:02,430 --> 00:07:08,824
The young, the unbelievers, the thrill seekers, the sightseers, the stubborn.

47
00:07:16,017 --> 00:07:31,842
By afternoon, the winds begin to roar. Camille is churning dangerously close.

48
00:07:36,637 --> 00:07:38,715
Some now attempt the last minute escape.

49
00:07:40,713 --> 00:07:45,349
For most, it is too late. The roads are blocked or washed away.

50
00:07:46,627 --> 00:07:53,501
In the drenching rain and wind, levees collapse, flooding entire towns.

51
00:07:59,175 --> 00:08:13,482
At dusk, the full force of the storm reaches Mississippi. Wind velocity hits 200 miles per hour.

52
00:08:15,719 --> 00:08:21,714
Power lines are falling, starting fires.

53
00:08:31,784 --> 00:08:45,451
Tornadoes spin off randomly, blowing homes to bits.

54
00:08:46,170 --> 00:08:54,962
At midnight, a final blow. A 30-foot tidal surge smashes the coast.

55
00:09:04,952 --> 00:09:06,950
Miraculously, some survive.

56
00:09:07,430 --> 00:09:20,297
By morning, it is over. The coastline is in shambles.

57
00:09:24,933 --> 00:09:26,771
Entire towns are wiped away.

58
00:09:27,490 --> 00:09:38,200
200,000 are homeless. More than 250 are dead.

59
00:09:40,598 --> 00:09:45,873
Dazed, the survivors stumble out. Each in his own way measures his loss.

60
00:09:47,791 --> 00:09:52,506
It's found being here somewhere because all these are the houses that came from in this vicinity.

61
00:09:53,066 --> 00:09:59,140
They're all ready in here in this neighborhood. But mine was wrapped on the corner, not on the edge.

62
00:10:13,286 --> 00:10:15,204
My house is under 12 feet of water.

63
00:10:15,844 --> 00:10:21,039
I've seen all my family has been hit by destruction in their homes.

64
00:10:34,945 --> 00:10:39,741
I lost my shoes and half of my clothes I had on. But the lady lent me some clothes to wear.

65
00:10:39,741 --> 00:10:42,858
She lent me a pair of shoes for me to walk home with. I'm thankful.

66
00:10:42,938 --> 00:10:48,452
And I did a lot of praying. And Junior darling, we all all right sweetheart. I love you.

67
00:10:49,012 --> 00:10:54,287
Now don't worry about us. We all right darling. And hello to all of you. Thank the Lord.

68
00:10:54,846 --> 00:10:58,363
Another one will never catch us here because if we have another one coming,

69
00:10:58,363 --> 00:11:03,398
we'll leave in here and go way upstate like you asked mama to do. So okay now I love y'all.

70
00:11:03,718 --> 00:11:13,628
In its sheer destructive intensity, no storm in recorded history has matched Camille.

71
00:11:14,188 --> 00:11:17,464
It was the greatest storm of any kind to ever affect this nation.

72
00:11:18,264 --> 00:11:20,661
Inevitably, there will be others.

73
00:11:23,938 --> 00:11:30,652
Miami 1965. The early winds of a coming storm offered some residents an opportunity to play.

74
00:11:33,369 --> 00:11:38,644
The fun however was short lived.

75
00:11:44,318 --> 00:11:47,675
Roaring quickly toward the coast was a hurricane named Betsy.

76
00:11:48,235 --> 00:11:51,432
It was the first to threaten eastern Florida in several years.

77
00:11:57,746 --> 00:12:02,861
Winds built to over 125 miles an hour. The hurricane had arrived.

78
00:12:03,340 --> 00:12:32,672
As the storm pushed tons of water into Miami Beach, the ground floors of houses and hotels

79
00:12:32,672 --> 00:12:42,063
turned into rivers and pools.

80
00:12:42,063 --> 00:12:45,859
Before dawn, it was over.

81
00:12:45,859 --> 00:12:54,491
A freighter had been tossed onto the beach, but altogether Miami was lucky.

82
00:12:54,491 --> 00:13:09,476
The brunt of the hurricane had hit to the south. Miami had only been brushed.

83
00:13:09,476 --> 00:13:17,269
Today, weather scientists use flying laboratories to study hurricanes for their working secrets.

84
00:13:17,269 --> 00:13:22,464
A gust probe measures the atmosphere a split second ahead of the plane.

85
00:13:22,464 --> 00:13:29,457
Elaborate sensor and data systems record air motion, temperature and humidity.

86
00:13:29,457 --> 00:13:38,449
Linked to airborne computers, the information can be instantly analyzed.

87
00:13:38,449 --> 00:13:47,440
We still lack an exact knowledge of how and why hurricanes form, but we are constantly learning more about their complex functioning.

88
00:13:47,440 --> 00:14:01,426
Discoveries made on experimental reconnaissance flights may someday save countless lives from the most violent storm on Earth.

89
00:14:01,426 --> 00:14:09,419
At the National Hurricane Center in Miami, weathermen keep constant track of storms that may reach our coasts.

90
00:14:09,419 --> 00:14:18,410
It is their job to warn us where and when a hurricane will strike.

91
00:14:18,410 --> 00:14:25,403
A huge coastal radar net is but one part of the center's hurricane detection and early warning system.

92
00:14:25,403 --> 00:14:35,394
A flow of weather data from satellites, ships and remote ocean buoys is instantly analyzed for potential danger.

93
00:14:40,389 --> 00:14:47,382
A special hurricane teletype circuit issues immediate warnings whenever a hurricane threatens.

94
00:14:47,382 --> 00:14:57,373
Sudden changes in a storm's path are reported at once to those in danger.

95
00:14:57,373 --> 00:15:08,362
Dr. Neil Frank is director of the National Hurricane Center. He heads all hurricane detection and warning operations for the entire United States.

96
00:15:09,361 --> 00:15:14,356
Our knowledge about hurricanes has increased tremendously over the last, say, 20-30 years.

97
00:15:14,356 --> 00:15:17,353
We now got satellites that have come along in the since the 60s.

98
00:15:17,353 --> 00:15:20,350
We had radar as a byproduct of World War II.

99
00:15:20,350 --> 00:15:23,348
Another byproduct of World War II was aircraft reconnaissance,

100
00:15:23,348 --> 00:15:28,343
and we started sending military airplanes out into these storms to give us information about them.

101
00:15:28,343 --> 00:15:32,339
There's been no question about a tremendous increase in our understanding.

102
00:15:32,339 --> 00:15:37,334
Unfortunately, we haven't been able to realize that same understanding in our forecast accuracy,

103
00:15:37,334 --> 00:15:40,331
so that we're not forecasting that much better today.

104
00:15:47,324 --> 00:15:55,317
Miami Beach, a comfortable place in the sun, but in recent years, like the rest of the coastline, has attracted large numbers of new residents.

105
00:15:55,317 --> 00:16:08,304
In Miami, as in nearly every other coastal city, there is a potential for hurricane disaster.

106
00:16:08,304 --> 00:16:13,299
A huge percentage of its population has never experienced a major hurricane.

107
00:16:14,298 --> 00:16:20,293
So it's been 25 years since we've experienced much activity over the state of Florida,

108
00:16:20,293 --> 00:16:26,287
and over 15 years since the people along the east coast have experienced bad hurricanes.

109
00:16:26,287 --> 00:16:31,282
And that's where our greatest population increase is taking place at the present time.

110
00:16:31,282 --> 00:16:35,278
Now, the fear that we have is that people might become complacent.

111
00:16:35,278 --> 00:16:39,274
Now, in the meantime, the east coast and even Florida has had some near misses,

112
00:16:39,274 --> 00:16:42,272
and we've been brushed by some, and we've had to post some warnings at times,

113
00:16:42,272 --> 00:16:47,267
and then the storm went someplace else, or we've gone through the fringes of some minor storms,

114
00:16:47,267 --> 00:16:52,262
had a weak storm come by, and we've developed some false impressions.

115
00:16:52,262 --> 00:17:01,253
And false impressions lead to poor decisions, maybe in the wake of the next hurricane that comes by that could indeed be a big one.

116
00:17:01,253 --> 00:17:07,247
The last major hurricane that we've had here was in 1926, a real big storm.

117
00:17:07,247 --> 00:17:12,243
On September 17th, Miami was devastated by a direct hit.

118
00:17:12,243 --> 00:17:19,236
A hurricane of unparalleled power lashed at Miami for 11 hours and left the city destroyed.

119
00:17:28,227 --> 00:17:31,224
Based on the damage that Miami suffered in 1926,

120
00:17:31,224 --> 00:17:38,218
Dr. Frank has made a projection of what would happen if such a storm struck again.

121
00:17:38,218 --> 00:17:45,211
Here on Key Biscayne, the large hotels and condominiums will quickly flood to the second floor.

122
00:17:45,211 --> 00:17:52,204
Any structures not built on pylons will be in danger of collapse.

123
00:17:52,204 --> 00:17:58,198
As the hurricane sweeps in, the rest of Key Biscayne will go completely underwater.

124
00:17:58,198 --> 00:18:04,193
Most smaller dwellings will be flooded or submerged under the churning storm.

125
00:18:04,193 --> 00:18:11,186
People who do not evacuate in time will have little chance for survival.

126
00:18:15,182 --> 00:18:23,174
In South Miami Beach, hundreds of small hotels and apartments will be smashed and flooded by tons of water.

127
00:18:23,174 --> 00:18:27,171
The buildings are occupied mainly by the aged and retired.

128
00:18:27,171 --> 00:18:31,167
It is doubtful that everyone could be evacuated.

129
00:18:40,158 --> 00:18:47,151
Facing directly into the path that a killer storm will take are the large and famous hotels of Miami Beach.

130
00:18:47,151 --> 00:18:52,146
Those that have been strongly built will survive even the biggest storm.

131
00:18:52,146 --> 00:18:56,143
Yet staying inside to weather it out could be a nightmare.

132
00:19:02,137 --> 00:19:08,131
Water from the huge tidal surge will blast through the ground floors, tearing out walls and stairways.

133
00:19:08,131 --> 00:19:14,125
Power will be cut off, leaving those inside trapped in darkness on the upper floors.

134
00:19:14,125 --> 00:19:17,122
People with medical problems will be left helpless.

135
00:19:22,118 --> 00:19:36,104
In the rest of Miami, flooding, severe winds and tornadoes will damage or destroy thousands of buildings.

136
00:19:36,104 --> 00:19:39,101
The death toll could be enormous.

137
00:19:41,099 --> 00:19:46,094
Yet knowing what might happen, will Miamians evacuate if warned?

138
00:19:47,094 --> 00:19:53,088
I think I pay pretty much attention to the weather reports and if I got enough warning I try to leave.

139
00:19:53,088 --> 00:19:56,085
I don't know, I think my instinct would be to hide under a table.

140
00:19:56,085 --> 00:19:59,082
But I'm from New York and I've never been in a hurricane.

141
00:19:59,082 --> 00:20:02,079
And I guess I probably want to run right out in it.

142
00:20:02,079 --> 00:20:07,074
Well, if they're on the water they'll evacuate but if they know they're comfortable and nothing's going to happen.

143
00:20:07,074 --> 00:20:10,071
Then they'll stay there and it's a good reason to have a party.

144
00:20:11,070 --> 00:20:16,066
In 1969, despite numerous warnings that Hurricane Camille was on the way,

145
00:20:16,066 --> 00:20:22,060
28 people gathered in a third floor hotel room to have a hurricane party.

146
00:20:23,059 --> 00:20:28,054
The hotel Richelieu in Mississippi did not weather the storm.

147
00:20:30,052 --> 00:20:34,048
Of the 28 party goers, only one survived.

148
00:20:34,048 --> 00:20:39,043
An eight-year-old boy floated out of the third-story window on a mattress.

149
00:20:45,038 --> 00:20:50,033
Camille in 1969, a category five type storm, taught them some very bitter lessons.

150
00:20:50,033 --> 00:20:56,027
I hope it doesn't take that kind of a storm to teach the rest of us who live along the coastline those same kind of lessons.

151
00:20:56,027 --> 00:21:02,021
You know, an old philosopher once said that those who ignore history,

152
00:21:02,021 --> 00:21:06,018
ignore history are condemned to relive it.

153
00:21:06,018 --> 00:21:08,016
I like that word condemned.

154
00:21:08,016 --> 00:21:14,010
And there's no reason today why we should have to experience those same kind of bitter lessons.

155
00:21:14,010 --> 00:21:17,007
There's a lot of hurricane history around and if we'll take the time,

156
00:21:17,007 --> 00:21:21,003
we can learn those lessons and not have to go through those same kind of experiences.

157
00:21:21,003 --> 00:21:33,991
Today, we still know very little about how hurricanes begin and exactly what forces determine their paths.

158
00:21:33,991 --> 00:21:39,985
For now, at least, if threatened by their fury, we should heed the warnings of the past.

159
00:21:42,982 --> 00:21:45,979
Sometimes spy work needs a woman's touch.

160
00:21:45,979 --> 00:21:46,978
A woman?

161
00:21:46,978 --> 00:21:51,973
British intelligence uses a call girl to lure a Soviet secret agent on spies tonight.

162
00:21:51,973 --> 00:21:55,969
And now, he led the most powerful crime family in America.

163
00:21:55,969 --> 00:21:59,966
Let's meet my boss John Gotti on biography next on A&E.

164
00:21:59,966 --> 00:22:01,964
It's time well spent.