Gathering Storm (2020) s01e01 Episode Script
Hurricane Dorian
1
(man yelling)
NARRATOR: The storm
of the century is closing in.
(dramatic music playing)
MAN 1: It's happening.
(wind wailing)
MAN 2: We are proceeding
inbound to Dorian.
NARRATOR: More intense than
any Atlantic storm ever recorded.
MAN 3: Holy (beep).
That part of the wall is gone.
WOMAN: Woo.
NARRATOR: This is Hurricane Dorian.
(man yelling)
NARRATOR: As storms hit
new extremes and defy prediction
(man screams)
National Geographic gave cameras
to more than 1,000 marine workers
to film wherever storms might strike,
right around the globe
on a scale never seen before.
This is what came back from our cameras.
Caught in the path of Hurricane Dorian,
the fiercest Atlantic hurricane
in history.
(thunder cracking)
(tense music playing)
RON YOW: Just your standard VHF radio.
(radio beeps)
And--
- (man speaking on radio)
- YOW: This is the marine forecast.
This is the main thing we listen to
when we're out.
NARRATOR: It's deep into hurricane season.
Ron Yow is starting out
on a regular 10-day trip
on his shrimp boat Sea King,
taking with him one of our cameras.
YOW (off screen): We are shrimping
offshore of St. Augustine Beach.
And this is what it's looking like
outside right now,
which isn't so bad.
NARRATOR: Out in the Atlantic,
a buildup of storm clouds,
watched by weather satellites,
has begun to grow.
As its winds 40 miles per hour,
it's classed as a tropical storm
and is given a name.
(tense music playing)
Dorian.
YOW (off screen): We're just gonna keep
an eye on it, and hope for the best.
That's what we're doing.
We're not waiting, we gotta go fishing.
Boat's ready, we're fueled up,
everything's green light for go.
NARRATOR: Sea King
is one of hundreds of vessels,
now off Florida's Atlantic coast,
that have taken our cameras to sea,
as they keep watch on the new storm.
MAN: You see,
that's Tropical Storm Dorian.
You can see that the wind has changed.
NARRATOR: One of them
is container ship Somers Isles.
MAN: It's predicted to becoming
quite bad in the coming days.
(wind whooshing)
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: Tropical Storm Dorian
is now bearing down on Barbados
where another camera is rolling onboard
the tug Pelican II.
SVITZER IV: All right, the weather
is deteriorating already.
The sea's a bit more choppy than usual.
Instead of coming
from an easterly directly,
which is from that direction,
the wind is now coming
from southeasterly direction.
Welcome to sunny Barbados.
NARRATOR: For a tropical storm
to develop into a hurricane,
a warm ocean is vital.
When temperatures top 79 degrees,
conditions are ripe.
By late summer, the sun's effect
is at its peak,
and this year from Florida
to the Caribbean,
the sea temperature
is hitting a record high.
YOW: The water's 83,
and I'm sure by the Bahamas,
it's in the mid to upper 80s.
There's plenty of, you know, warm water.
That's what sets it off,
and that's the gasoline for the storm.
NARRATOR: As Dorian draws energy
from the superheated ocean
(tense music playing)
it's threat level is rising.
(water gurgles)
GEORGE NILES: I just wish
that it don't come here.
Two years ago, when we got Hurricane Irma,
we lost about half of our lobster gear.
And now with Dorian
coming as big as it is,
you know we'd probably lose 100%
if we had a direct hit.
REPORTER: All right, South Florida, we
are tracking what is now Hurricane Dorian.
NARRATOR: Hitting full hurricane strength
with 75-mile-per hour winds,
Dorian crashes into the US Virgin Islands.
Within hours, wind speeds hit a new high
of 85 miles per hour.
Dorian is growing stronger,
and bearing down on Florida
at 300 miles a day.
MAN (off screen): All right,
we're the only game in town today.
So we're the reco mission
heading out to Hurricane Dorian.
NARRATOR: In Florida, Flight NOAA42
is moments from takeoff.
MAN: Wingside, I'm ready.
NARRATOR: This is America's primary asset
in forecasting how a storm will behave,
the P-3 Hurricane Hunter,
an airborne weather station
that flies right into the storm
(people murmuring)
taking with it one of our cameras.
MIKE HOLMES: We march into the storm
and we directly measure things
that can't be measured any other way.
MAN (on radio): NOAA42,
on departure, turn left, heading 180,
runway 27, clear for takeoff.
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: Their mission
is to fly through the eye
to pinpoint Dorian's exact center
and gather data
essential for forecast accuracy.
Radio sensors dropped
from the plane, called sondes,
are the only way to get vital readings
from inside a storm.
MAN 1 (on radio): All right,
good course, good speed.
NARRATOR: After three hours airborne,
the target is in sight.
MAN 2 (over radio):
So it that Dorian at 10 o'clock?
MAN 1 (over radio): That it would be.
10 more miles.
MAN (over radio):
We'll get set up on a line.
And we're gonna try
to find the eye of the storm.
(tense music playing)
MAN 1 (over radio): Inside, 30 seconds.
MAN 2 (over radio): Roger, 30.
MAN 1 (over radio):
Seatbelt light's coming on.
(seat belt sign dings)
MAN 1 (over radio): 10 seconds.
HOLMES: The wind speeds
start to come up.
We get bumped around a fair bit
and then you start to hit the eyewall.
MAN 1 (over radio):
Here we go, here we go.
HOLMES: Which is essentially
this wall of precipitation.
NARRATOR: The eyewall
is where a hurricane's winds
are at their most powerful.
HOLMES: One of the motors
is right out with window,
and the rain is so intense
that I can't see the motor,
and it's not a meter out my window.
It's phenomenal.
NARRATOR: The rain impacts the propeller
with so much force it hits the metal.
(tense music playing)
HOLMES:
Once we're inside of the eyewall,
we actually follow the winds,
and when they get to zero knots,
that is the center.
MAN 1 (over radio):
We're going into it now
(tense music playing)
HOLMES: The most critical thing
of every mission is fixing the center.
MAN 1 (over radio):
Mark center, no turbulence.
HOLMES: When we do, we drop a sonde.
MAN 2 (over radio): Release sonde.
(sonde whooshes)
TECHNICIAN (over radio): Sonde is away.
(tense music playing)
MAN 1 (over radio): Steady on 045.
HOLMES: And every successive drop
recorded lower pressure.
MAN 2 (over radio): Three
Two
One.
Which clearly highlighted to us
that Dorian was intensifying.
MAN 2 (over radio): Release sonde.
TECHNICIAN (over radio): Sonde is away.
(sonde whooshes)
NARRATOR: The flight's data
is beamed straight
to the National Hurricane Center,
where the new information confirms
that the threat from Dorian is escalating.
MIKE BRENNAN: And we're forecasting
Dorian to go on
and become a major hurricane now
within the next 24 hours.
That's Category 3, 4, 5 on
the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
NARRATOR: At Category 4,
a hurricane's potential for destruction
is 200 times greater than at Category 1.
And as it advances across the ocean,
the prospect of Dorian making landfall
looks ever more certain.
BRENNAN: Talking about
the life-threatening storm surge and winds
in the northwestern Bahamas
and potential for devastating
winds and storm surge
along the Florida east coast,
a potentially catastrophic hurricane event
in portions of the Bahamas and Florida.
MAN (off screen): Woo.
All right, let me put this on video.
(thunder cracking)
NARRATOR: Off Florida's east coast,
fisherman are on guard
for any change in the weather.
They're among hundreds
of marine workers using our cameras
to capture tropical storms
whenever and wherever they appear.
MAN: We got Hurricane Dorian
coming this way.
Be here Saturday night.
NARRATOR: In the Atlantic,
the biggest storm for decades
is building fast.
Rapid intensification sees Dorian leap
in less than 24 hours
from a Category 2 hurricane to Category 4.
(tense music playing)
Directly in its path,
the island of Great Abaco
in the northwest Bahamas.
And beyond that,
Florida and the Port of Miami,
the busiest cruise ship terminal
in the world
and a vital hub for freight.
CAPT. JO-ANN BURDIAN:
Okay, good morning, everyone.
This is Captain Burdian.
Thanks for joining us here on the phone.
NARRATOR: Responsibility
for the Port's safety
rests with the U.S. Coast Guard,
under Sector Miami's commander,
Captain Jo-Ann Burdian.
CAPT. BURDIAN: Just took a look
at the 1100 update for Hurricane Dorian,
and it looks like
anticipating the first arrival
of storm-force winds
sometime overnight Saturday,
late Saturday, early Sunday morning.
NARRATOR: A hurricane strike on a port
can be catastrophic,
doing damage valued
at billions of dollars.
The ultimate precaution is
to evacuate the port and shut it down.
CAPT. BURDIAN:
We talk a lot about port closure
but it's a balancing act
to preserve the safety of
the men and women who live and work here
with efficient maritime commerce.
NARRATOR: One day's closure has an impact
on Florida's economy
of over 100 million dollars.
CAPT. BURDIAN: My position here,
as the captain of the port
and as the sector commander,
is that safety is paramount.
Captain of the port has ordered
Port Condition X-Ray be set at noon today.
All ocean-going commercial vessels
greater than 500 gross tons
must prepare
to depart the ports and anchorages.
NARRATOR: Post Condition X-Ray
is the trigger
CAPT. BURDIAN:
All right, thank you. Let's roll.
NARRATOR: f or evacuation.
MAN (off screen): All right, guys.
Let's go to sea.
(people murmuring)
NARRATOR: Leading to
complete closure of the port.
(tense music playing)
All ships will head to sea
to escape the storm
while there's still time.
As Dorian's threat increases,
the decision to close Port Miami
is followed by ports further north.
In Port Canaveral,
all boats are ordered to leave.
MATT BEEDLE: All right.
Port's making us get out.
I got a Cat 4 coming
breathing down our necks.
NARRATOR: One of our cameras is with
fisherman Matt Beedle,
captain with commercial fishing fleet,
Wild Ocean.
BEEDLE: I mean the Wild Ocean fleet,
Sindy Sue, Miss Lynn, myself,
going into what they call a barge canal.
They used to use it
to haul coal and everything
to the power plant up in Titusville.
Now we'll try and get tied up
and hunker down.
NARRATOR: While large ships
must head out to sea,
smaller boats can seek shelter inland,
but some can be reluctant to quit
while they could still be fishing.
BEEDLE: You got other boats in the port
that are supposed to be going with us,
and they play the game of,
"Oh, we're not going yet."
And if they can't get out of the port,
the port fines them $30,000 a day.
Plus, if you leave your boat up here
and it breaks loose
and does any damage to anything
or any other boats,
you are responsible
and you are gonna pay out your butt.
(indistinct chatter on radio)
Herb, I guess I'll just go in front of ya.
NARRATOR: The Wild Ocean fleet
will meet to tie up
at a mooring they've used
in previous storms.
(tense music playing)
BEEDLE (off screen): This is the most
boats I've seen up here
ever for a storm.
I ain't ever seen boats up here
like this before.
All these people
that got their boats on the south side,
that is the worst place you wanna be on.
The problem with it is
it's gonna be north and east winds.
It's gonna be at the back of their boats,
not at the bow of their boats.
It's gonna spin those sumbitches around
and put more stress
on their lines than anything.
John, I'm gonna pass you on your port side
and turn around
and put my nose into the wind.
NARRATOR: On the north shore,
the boats are latched together
BEEDLE: Throw 'em that.
NARRATOR: f or increased stability.
BEEDLE (off screen): Throw that line.
Tie it to the bowline.
It's probably already on the beach now.
MAN: You're on the beach.
NARRATOR: Category 4 Hurricane Dorian
is now entering an ominous new phase.
Seen from space,
it's like a monster waking
as Dorian opens its eye.
(tense music playing)
A circular clearing at its center
is a sign of a well-established storm
with the strength to go on growing.
In the next 24 hours,
Hurricane Dorian will make history
in a way no one could have anticipated.
MAN (off screen): September 1st, 2019.
Prepping for the hurricane.
Highest ground in Hatteras
is inside of a truck.
WOMAN 1 (off screen): Top of the morning.
It's about like 6:56.
WOMAN: Ain't nothing happening now
It's just some wind
Some rain. Nothing too crazy yet.
MAN: Shrimp is really good right now.
The shrimp are very plentiful.
Shame the storm is coming on our part.
(thunder cracking)
NARRATOR: 8:00 a.m.
Dorian is flexing its muscles.
(tense music playing)
REPORTER: Winds have been bumped up
to 160 miles per hour.
Hurricane hunters flew through there
and found some stronger winds,
some lower pressure as well,
so they upgraded it.
NARRATOR: Bearing down
on the island of Great Abaco,
Dorian's power intensifies
in three mighty steps.
With the eye five miles from the island,
its winds leap to 185 miles per hour.
REPORTER: 185 mile-per-hour winds.
We could see gusts
up to 220 miles per hour.
We've never seen that before.
So this is a historical event
that is unfolding right before our eyes.
NARRATOR: In the hours before impact,
Dorian has intensified at a rate never
observed before in a storm so strong.
MAN (off screen):
The ocean's already huge here,
and the storm's so far away.
Praying for those people in the Bahamas.
Shoo.
(wind wailing)
WOMAN (off screen):
Okay, time is now 11:52.
WOMAN: The wind has just picked up.
Like a lot, a lot.
It's starting to scare me now.
NARRATOR: Just before noon,
Sunday, September 1st,
Dorian slams
into the island of Great Abaco
to become the most powerful hurricane ever
to hit the Bahamas.
(wind wailing)
MAN: It's 12 o'clock, and stuff's
definitely starting to come apart.
All the coconut trees have snapped off.
NARRATOR: Dorian's extreme winds
gust to a strength
only experienced inside a tornado.
(woman exclaiming)
NARRATOR: The intense pounding
is prolonged
by Dorian's slow speed of travel
across the island.
MAN: Look at that,
open ocean coming across
from the parking lot, the street,
to the marina.
NARRATOR: Dorian's winds have pushed
a 20-foot wall of water onshore.
WOMAN (off screen):
We standing right here.
The apartment building
As we stand, the whole roof came off.
Please pray for us.
Please pray for us, everyone.
Please pray for us.
Pray for Abaco, please, I'm begging y'all.
NARRATOR: By mid-afternoon
MAN (off screen): The eye is here.
NARRATOR: Dorian's eye is now over
the town of Marsh Harbour.
WOMAN: Woo, Abaco.
NARRATOR: An opening in the clouds
17 miles wide.
But Dorian's assault
on the northwest Bahamas
is just getting started.
(thunder cracking)
CAPT. BURDIAN: Good afternoon, Admiral.
Jo Burdian.
We're commencing our 24-hour IM
in anticipation
of tropical storm force winds
arriving within the AOR overnight tonight.
That's all I have, pending your questions.
ADMIRAL (over radio): Thanks, Jo.
NARRATOR: In Miami Coast Guard HQ,
Captain Burdian's incident management team
is briefing all units in the sector.
ADMIRAL (over radio): Do we have anyone
from the Bahamas online?
Okay.
(wind whooshing)
MAN 1 (over radio):
Here we go. Here we go.
Go, we are proceeding inbound to Dorian.
NARRATOR: The hurricane hunter NOAA42
is on its 12th mission
into the eye of Dorian.
MAN 2 (over radio):
Dorian, you've changed.
That is such a different storm.
NARRATOR: Dorian's eye has opened wide.
MAN 1 (over radio): There's a Grand Bahama
sized hole in this wall.
NARRATOR: A stadium of clouds
now 23 miles across.
(tense music playing)
MAN 1 (over radio): It's ugly.
Three, two, one, release mid-point sonde.
Science equipment is go.
NARRATOR: What they discover
is a hammer blow.
As Dorian reaches
the island of Grand Bahama
MAN 1 (over radio):
A very unfortunate place to stall.
NARRATOR: it's westward movement
has stopped.
(tense music playing)
The most powerful Atlantic hurricane
to make landfall
has stalled over northwest Bahamas'
most populated island.
BRENNAN: A storm moving
at a normal speed at that intensity
is going to be devastating.
To have a storm
basically sit over the same general area
is about the worst type of scenario
you could imagine for those areas
in terms of the impacts.
(melancholy music playing)
MAN (off screen):
This is what's left of the resort.
And there's some of the boats
that were in the marina.
NARRATOR: For 36 hours,
Dorian has subjected the Bahamas
to the most
prolonged and powerful battering
of a populated place ever recorded.
HOLMES: It's difficult
to fly over these areas
and look down at the devastation.
To see the level of violence
that these storms can exert
on the surface of the Earth,
and suffering of the people
that are on the ground.
But we gotta get over it.
Because our focus
is the current observation
and how that translates
into protecting people
in the coming days
for this particular storm.
It's a challenge. It's a challenge.
(tense music playing)
BRENNAN: At this point in time,
we're forecasting Dorian
to move north-northwestward,
moving just offshore
of the Florida east coast,
all the way up to North Carolina.
So the impacts
are gonna be over a very large area now.
MAN: Soon as you get it to him,
then get in on there
and get that tied off
and get that bowline.
NARRATOR: Dorian is now heading
for the east coast of the US.
In Mayport, Sea King's captain Ron
is alive to the growing danger.
YOW: Well, with the storm coming,
the wind's gonna be out hard
at the north and the northeast,
I'm wanting to get my bow
headed up into it.
Storms are very unpredictable.
I'm not endangering anyone for money.
That's not worth it to me.
(tense music playing)
MAN 1: It's just crazy out here, man.
It's scary a little bit.
NARRATOR: On the fishing boat Gooch,
off North Carolina,
the spreading anxiety
is captured on camera.
(thunder cracking)
MAN 1: Lightning coming this way.
MAN 2: Y'all wanted a documentary.
You're getting it as real as it gets.
(thunder cracking)
TAYLOR KELSEY AIKEN: It's do or die now.
We're cleaning all of our product
and freezing it, so we don't lose it.
NARRATOR: Hatteras,
on the outer banks of North Carolina,
is on a countdown
to collision with Dorian.
At Jeffrey's Seafood,
brothers Taylor and Kelsey Aiken
handle distribution for
a number of fishing boats on the island.
TAYLOR AIKEN: Trying to get all of
our fish outta here.
They'll be paid for it
and we'll make money on it,
so at least we'll be able to
get something outta this,
ahead of the storm anyway.
NARRATOR: A mandatory evacuation
comes into effect later today.
They need to get as much of their fish
as they can on the last truck out.
(tense music playing)
(truck horn honks)
TAYLOR AIKEN: We were able to get
all of our fresh product out on the truck,
but we had $20,000 worth of product
in our freezer
that we had to, you know, hold onto.
NARRATOR: The risk now is storm surge,
and with it, power outage and flooding.
The freezer is just a few feet
above the ocean.
TAYLOR AIKEN: If it blows 35, 40, 50 miles
an hour out of the northwest,
all that water from across the sound
will come here, and it'll flood.
That's what happened the previous years
when Matthew came.
This right here, that's how high
it was in here in Hurricane Matthew.
That's five foot of water in here,
you know?
But that was insane.
I've never ever seen it that high.
KELSEY AIKEN: That's the latest
satellite image of Hurricane Dorian.
TAYLOR AIKEN: By 8:00 p.m. tomorrow,
it'll be in North Carolina,
and by 8:00 a.m. Friday morning,
it'll be on top of us.
KELSEY AIKEN: Yeah, I don't know,
it doesn't look very good,
to be honest with ya.
NARRATOR: Further north
in the Port of Wilmington,
cargo vessel Ice Ranger
is due to leave for Florida.
With Dorian in their path
and coming this way,
they've made a bold plan
to skirt around the storm.
Leaving port ahead of Dorian's arrival,
they'll pass within 80 nautical miles
of the eye
on their course
for Port Canaveral, Florida.
Taking command for the two-day voyage,
Ukrainian captain, Zakhar Zemlyakov.
CAPT. ZAKHAR ZEMLYAKOV: I am very proud.
I was promoted
5 days ago.
All the responsibility
is now on my shoulders.
Little bit scared
but I have experienced crew.
NARRATOR: Passing this close
to Dorian's eye,
Zakhar expects to face large swells.
(tense music playing)
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
This type of cargo is concentrated juice.
It's a very heavy box.
About 1.6 metric tonnes.
When the ship is moving, rocking,
the cargo could shift to one side.
It could be dangerous for us.
KELSEY AIKEN:
We're looking at some flooding
from what they're saying.
They'll be a foot of water
in that house right there.
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: In Hatteras,
mandatory evacuation
of the island has begun.
TAYLOR AIKEN: It can be that drastic, that
the storm wipes out the roads so bad,
that it takes weeks, even months,
to repair sometimes.
So Kelsey and I, we made a decision
that we were gonna stay
because we wanna be here for our fishermen
and we wanna be here
and be able to recover
everything we can, as fast as we can.
(alarm beeps)
TAYLOR AIKEN: There's the official warning
right there.
Hurricane warning in this area.
Pretty much telling you
that if you haven't made plans
to get out of here,
it's probably time to do it.
(tense music playing)
TAYLOR AIKEN:
Yep, I'm here, this is happening.
You know, there's no going back.
This is what we're doing.
TAYLOR AIKEN: September 5th, 2019,
at my house, ready to go.
Bring what you got, Dorian.
A lot of people left.
We're here for it now.
Whoa, did you see that?
NARRATOR: On the outer banks,
fishing crews keep our cameras running
as they head ashore
to take care of their property.
MAN 1: Man,
it's definitely picking up here.
It is what it is.
NARRATOR: As Hurricane Dorian
prowls the eastern seaboard,
GPS data shows vessels steering clear
of its vast wind field.
But Ice Ranger continues on its course
into Dorian's storm force winds.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen): Valeriy!
Introduce yourself please.
VALERIY KISELYUK:
My name is Valeriy Kiselyuk.
Second officer on motor vessel Ice Ranger.
I'm duty officer right now.
Now we are receiving Inmarsat-C signal.
It's all about Dorian.
Very
scary storm.
NARRATOR: For every 10 miles,
they burn over a ton of fuel.
But taking the shortest route
must be balanced
against the safety of the ship.
(ship creaking)
KISELYUK: With this weather it's difficult
even walking the deck.
(wind wailing)
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
The wind is very strong.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, man. Careful.
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: The planned route
requires the crew to be on high alert,
ready to respond to any change
in Dorian's trajectory or power.
(ship creaking)
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
Of course nobody sleep this night.
You can't even drink the coffee.
No more coffee. No more tea.
Just only keep the watch.
(ship creaking)
NARRATOR: Hurricane Dorian
is moments from making a direct hit
on Hatteras, North Carolina,
its first and only US landfall.
TAYLOR AIKEN: So it's happening.
(wind wailing)
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): Seven o'clock,
September 6th, Friday morning,
we are almost in the eye, you can see it
right there, the whole storm.
And so, it begins.
The power just went out, right now.
And then internet goes out,
and then your phone service goes out.
And then you're like,
"Okay, now I'm really trapped"
because you're not only
physically trapped,
now you're virtually trapped, as well.
(wind wailing)
KELSEY AIKEN: Ooh, what you gonna do?
As the eye is approaching,
you're getting that inner eyewall,
most powerful winds and driving rain
and it's gusting
to about 100 miles an hour,
and pretty wild hearing
the shingles go whoock, whoock,
you know, come off your roof.
(tense music playing)
KELSEY AIKEN (off screen): As you can see,
it's just blowing really, really hard.
As you get though the eyewall
(wind wailing)
you can see it from a distance,
the light changes.
It goes from being very dark
to being lighter, lighter,
and then it goes like dead calm, silent.
(tense music playing)
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): Officially,
officially in the eye, look at the flag.
KELSEY AIKEN: Wow, we're in the eye.
The birds come out and they fly
to wherever they think is gonna be safe.
Animals kinda come out
of their hiding where they were,
and then all of us come out
and explore and see like,
you know, "Wow,
we're in the middle of this."
It's very strange. It's very eerie.
Gives me the chills
just thinking about it.
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: Hatteras is the most
hurricane prone city in the US.
But even here, being in the eye
is an extraordinary event.
MAN (off screen): Hey, hey.
- Everyone all right?
- WOMAN (off screen): Hey.
TAYLOR AIKEN: I had to go look.
I couldn't take it. I had to go.
KELSEY AIKEN: There was literally
six inches of water
in the bottom of the creek
still draining out towards the sound.
WOMAN (off screen): I mean,
you don't see it this low.
Sometimes you see the bank over there,
but not all this exposed here.
KELSEY AIKEN: When all that water
gets sucked out on the southeast wind,
and then as soon as we get that shift
and that northwest eyewall comes,
it pushes all the water back.
It comes all at once,
like a wall of water.
TAYLOR AIKEN: Next thing you know
(alarm wailing)
TAYLOR AIKEN: There you go. (laughing)
Okay, y'all stay safe.
KELSEY AIKEN (off screen): Bye.
TAYLOR AIKEN:
It's time to get back inside.
WOMAN (off screen): All right, bye guys.
See you soon.
NARRATOR: The eye is surrounded by a band
of the storm's most violent winds,
following just minutes behind.
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): See that?
That's all rain water rushing off the back
into the sound.
I could see the front coming.
I barely get to the house and it starts
blowing hard again and raining.
All right.
The rain started getting really heavy.
Look, that water's coming up so fast.
This is nuts.
TAYLOR AIKEN: Shoulda went home earlier.
Woo!
TAYLOR AIKEN: Let's go!
Whoa, whoa!
That sign. Look at that sign!
Whoa!
(ship creaking)
KISELYUK (off screen):
This is motor vessel Ice Ranger.
We are passing very closely Dorian.
Whoa!
(ship creaking)
NARRATOR: Ice Ranger is at
the most critical part of its journey,
passing within 70 miles
of Hurricane Dorian's eye.
(instruments clashing)
KISELYUK: Very strong.
(ship creaking)
Now we have the captain on the bridge.
He's come to alter the course
to starboard.
NARRATOR: Their plan
is to change direction,
cutting through Dorian's wake
to make for port.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
Now we have a swell of 6.5 meters.
And a significant wave 7.9 meters.
NARRATOR: In heavy seas,
the cargo in Ice Ranger's hold
is at risk of breaking free
of its bindings,
causing a shift in weight
that would leave her gravely unstable.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
Check it out, guys.
37 degrees to starboard.
NARRATOR: In the 25-foot swells,
the rolling motion
is at the ship's safe limit.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen): Whoa.
(ship creaking)
KISELYUK: Right now
is everything falling down.
(dishes crashing)
NARRATOR: Fighting against
the strong wind and waves,
the Ice Ranger's top speed
is reduced by more than half.
(ship creaking)
KISELYUK: Speed right now is 8 knots.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
Unbelievable.
(ship creaking)
NARRATOR: Diverting around Dorian
has added a day to the journey.
(ship creaking)
(wind wailing)
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): Yeah,
this is the backside of the eyewall,
the other side of the hurricane.
This is the flooding side.
(wind howling)
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): Yeah,
this (bleep) is about to get real.
This is what we got.
It is flooding.
In my backyard, there's been waves.
KELSEY AIKEN (off screen): Pretty gnarly.
NARRATOR: In Hatteras,
Dorian's Category 1 winds
have pushed
a seven-foot wall of water onshore.
A tsunami-like storm surge is ripping
though North Carolina's outer banks.
KELSEY AIKEN: Honestly, right now,
the worst thing is things floating
into your house and taking down
the structure that's there.
Wow, look at it rushing right there.
That is insane.
Can't go past the river.
I'm going inside.
Shut it, shut it, shut it, shut it.
Oh, holy (beep).
Just hoping the wind falls out soon.
Now we were getting messages
from friends and people
saying it was the worst they'd ever seen.
There's the coast guard right there.
(melancholy music playing)
KELSEY AIKEN: Flying around
checking on everybody.
(tense music playing)
(birds chirping)
KELSEY AIKEN (off screen):
It's Friday, September 6th.
It's finally going down.
As far as I know,
everyone's safe in Hatteras.
TAYLOR AIKEN: We're safe.
(melancholy music playing)
NARRATOR: Dorian's passage over Hatteras
lasted four hours.
Even more devastating
than its 90-mile-per-hour winds
was the seven-foot storm surge
that swept across the island.
KELSEY AIKEN:
It buckled the walls right here.
(Kelsey sighing)
Wow, there was a lot of force
coming through here for sure.
TAYLOR AIKEN: All said and done,
we lost thousands of dollars
of frozen fish product,
and we had thousands of dollars
of damage to our business.
KELSEY AIKEN: Holy (beep).
That part of the wall is gone.
All right, we're in.
(dramatic music playing)
KELSEY AIKEN:
You're looking at the damages
and you're saying to yourself
you know, "Well, that sucks,
but all that can be replaced, you know?"
WOMAN: Back down.
KELSEY AIKEN: All right, go.
TAYLOR AIKEN: We're pretty fortunate
considering how bad it could've been.
Compared to what happened in the Bahamas,
we've lost, you know, nothing pretty much.
All right.
Let's not blow the door.
Woo, yeah, good work, guys.
NARRATOR: Cape Hatteras
was the only point in the US
where Dorian made landfall.
Days later, the Aiken brothers
were back in business.
Ice Ranger
arrived safely in Port Canaveral
under the skilled guidance
of its new captain.
In the Bahamas,
Hurricane Dorian was
the island's worst ever natural disaster.
This catastrophic assault lasted 27 hours,
the most prolonged battering
by an Atlantic hurricane
of any populated place
in recorded history.
(man yelling)
NARRATOR: The storm
of the century is closing in.
(dramatic music playing)
MAN 1: It's happening.
(wind wailing)
MAN 2: We are proceeding
inbound to Dorian.
NARRATOR: More intense than
any Atlantic storm ever recorded.
MAN 3: Holy (beep).
That part of the wall is gone.
WOMAN: Woo.
NARRATOR: This is Hurricane Dorian.
(man yelling)
NARRATOR: As storms hit
new extremes and defy prediction
(man screams)
National Geographic gave cameras
to more than 1,000 marine workers
to film wherever storms might strike,
right around the globe
on a scale never seen before.
This is what came back from our cameras.
Caught in the path of Hurricane Dorian,
the fiercest Atlantic hurricane
in history.
(thunder cracking)
(tense music playing)
RON YOW: Just your standard VHF radio.
(radio beeps)
And--
- (man speaking on radio)
- YOW: This is the marine forecast.
This is the main thing we listen to
when we're out.
NARRATOR: It's deep into hurricane season.
Ron Yow is starting out
on a regular 10-day trip
on his shrimp boat Sea King,
taking with him one of our cameras.
YOW (off screen): We are shrimping
offshore of St. Augustine Beach.
And this is what it's looking like
outside right now,
which isn't so bad.
NARRATOR: Out in the Atlantic,
a buildup of storm clouds,
watched by weather satellites,
has begun to grow.
As its winds 40 miles per hour,
it's classed as a tropical storm
and is given a name.
(tense music playing)
Dorian.
YOW (off screen): We're just gonna keep
an eye on it, and hope for the best.
That's what we're doing.
We're not waiting, we gotta go fishing.
Boat's ready, we're fueled up,
everything's green light for go.
NARRATOR: Sea King
is one of hundreds of vessels,
now off Florida's Atlantic coast,
that have taken our cameras to sea,
as they keep watch on the new storm.
MAN: You see,
that's Tropical Storm Dorian.
You can see that the wind has changed.
NARRATOR: One of them
is container ship Somers Isles.
MAN: It's predicted to becoming
quite bad in the coming days.
(wind whooshing)
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: Tropical Storm Dorian
is now bearing down on Barbados
where another camera is rolling onboard
the tug Pelican II.
SVITZER IV: All right, the weather
is deteriorating already.
The sea's a bit more choppy than usual.
Instead of coming
from an easterly directly,
which is from that direction,
the wind is now coming
from southeasterly direction.
Welcome to sunny Barbados.
NARRATOR: For a tropical storm
to develop into a hurricane,
a warm ocean is vital.
When temperatures top 79 degrees,
conditions are ripe.
By late summer, the sun's effect
is at its peak,
and this year from Florida
to the Caribbean,
the sea temperature
is hitting a record high.
YOW: The water's 83,
and I'm sure by the Bahamas,
it's in the mid to upper 80s.
There's plenty of, you know, warm water.
That's what sets it off,
and that's the gasoline for the storm.
NARRATOR: As Dorian draws energy
from the superheated ocean
(tense music playing)
it's threat level is rising.
(water gurgles)
GEORGE NILES: I just wish
that it don't come here.
Two years ago, when we got Hurricane Irma,
we lost about half of our lobster gear.
And now with Dorian
coming as big as it is,
you know we'd probably lose 100%
if we had a direct hit.
REPORTER: All right, South Florida, we
are tracking what is now Hurricane Dorian.
NARRATOR: Hitting full hurricane strength
with 75-mile-per hour winds,
Dorian crashes into the US Virgin Islands.
Within hours, wind speeds hit a new high
of 85 miles per hour.
Dorian is growing stronger,
and bearing down on Florida
at 300 miles a day.
MAN (off screen): All right,
we're the only game in town today.
So we're the reco mission
heading out to Hurricane Dorian.
NARRATOR: In Florida, Flight NOAA42
is moments from takeoff.
MAN: Wingside, I'm ready.
NARRATOR: This is America's primary asset
in forecasting how a storm will behave,
the P-3 Hurricane Hunter,
an airborne weather station
that flies right into the storm
(people murmuring)
taking with it one of our cameras.
MIKE HOLMES: We march into the storm
and we directly measure things
that can't be measured any other way.
MAN (on radio): NOAA42,
on departure, turn left, heading 180,
runway 27, clear for takeoff.
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: Their mission
is to fly through the eye
to pinpoint Dorian's exact center
and gather data
essential for forecast accuracy.
Radio sensors dropped
from the plane, called sondes,
are the only way to get vital readings
from inside a storm.
MAN 1 (on radio): All right,
good course, good speed.
NARRATOR: After three hours airborne,
the target is in sight.
MAN 2 (over radio):
So it that Dorian at 10 o'clock?
MAN 1 (over radio): That it would be.
10 more miles.
MAN (over radio):
We'll get set up on a line.
And we're gonna try
to find the eye of the storm.
(tense music playing)
MAN 1 (over radio): Inside, 30 seconds.
MAN 2 (over radio): Roger, 30.
MAN 1 (over radio):
Seatbelt light's coming on.
(seat belt sign dings)
MAN 1 (over radio): 10 seconds.
HOLMES: The wind speeds
start to come up.
We get bumped around a fair bit
and then you start to hit the eyewall.
MAN 1 (over radio):
Here we go, here we go.
HOLMES: Which is essentially
this wall of precipitation.
NARRATOR: The eyewall
is where a hurricane's winds
are at their most powerful.
HOLMES: One of the motors
is right out with window,
and the rain is so intense
that I can't see the motor,
and it's not a meter out my window.
It's phenomenal.
NARRATOR: The rain impacts the propeller
with so much force it hits the metal.
(tense music playing)
HOLMES:
Once we're inside of the eyewall,
we actually follow the winds,
and when they get to zero knots,
that is the center.
MAN 1 (over radio):
We're going into it now
(tense music playing)
HOLMES: The most critical thing
of every mission is fixing the center.
MAN 1 (over radio):
Mark center, no turbulence.
HOLMES: When we do, we drop a sonde.
MAN 2 (over radio): Release sonde.
(sonde whooshes)
TECHNICIAN (over radio): Sonde is away.
(tense music playing)
MAN 1 (over radio): Steady on 045.
HOLMES: And every successive drop
recorded lower pressure.
MAN 2 (over radio): Three
Two
One.
Which clearly highlighted to us
that Dorian was intensifying.
MAN 2 (over radio): Release sonde.
TECHNICIAN (over radio): Sonde is away.
(sonde whooshes)
NARRATOR: The flight's data
is beamed straight
to the National Hurricane Center,
where the new information confirms
that the threat from Dorian is escalating.
MIKE BRENNAN: And we're forecasting
Dorian to go on
and become a major hurricane now
within the next 24 hours.
That's Category 3, 4, 5 on
the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
NARRATOR: At Category 4,
a hurricane's potential for destruction
is 200 times greater than at Category 1.
And as it advances across the ocean,
the prospect of Dorian making landfall
looks ever more certain.
BRENNAN: Talking about
the life-threatening storm surge and winds
in the northwestern Bahamas
and potential for devastating
winds and storm surge
along the Florida east coast,
a potentially catastrophic hurricane event
in portions of the Bahamas and Florida.
MAN (off screen): Woo.
All right, let me put this on video.
(thunder cracking)
NARRATOR: Off Florida's east coast,
fisherman are on guard
for any change in the weather.
They're among hundreds
of marine workers using our cameras
to capture tropical storms
whenever and wherever they appear.
MAN: We got Hurricane Dorian
coming this way.
Be here Saturday night.
NARRATOR: In the Atlantic,
the biggest storm for decades
is building fast.
Rapid intensification sees Dorian leap
in less than 24 hours
from a Category 2 hurricane to Category 4.
(tense music playing)
Directly in its path,
the island of Great Abaco
in the northwest Bahamas.
And beyond that,
Florida and the Port of Miami,
the busiest cruise ship terminal
in the world
and a vital hub for freight.
CAPT. JO-ANN BURDIAN:
Okay, good morning, everyone.
This is Captain Burdian.
Thanks for joining us here on the phone.
NARRATOR: Responsibility
for the Port's safety
rests with the U.S. Coast Guard,
under Sector Miami's commander,
Captain Jo-Ann Burdian.
CAPT. BURDIAN: Just took a look
at the 1100 update for Hurricane Dorian,
and it looks like
anticipating the first arrival
of storm-force winds
sometime overnight Saturday,
late Saturday, early Sunday morning.
NARRATOR: A hurricane strike on a port
can be catastrophic,
doing damage valued
at billions of dollars.
The ultimate precaution is
to evacuate the port and shut it down.
CAPT. BURDIAN:
We talk a lot about port closure
but it's a balancing act
to preserve the safety of
the men and women who live and work here
with efficient maritime commerce.
NARRATOR: One day's closure has an impact
on Florida's economy
of over 100 million dollars.
CAPT. BURDIAN: My position here,
as the captain of the port
and as the sector commander,
is that safety is paramount.
Captain of the port has ordered
Port Condition X-Ray be set at noon today.
All ocean-going commercial vessels
greater than 500 gross tons
must prepare
to depart the ports and anchorages.
NARRATOR: Post Condition X-Ray
is the trigger
CAPT. BURDIAN:
All right, thank you. Let's roll.
NARRATOR: f or evacuation.
MAN (off screen): All right, guys.
Let's go to sea.
(people murmuring)
NARRATOR: Leading to
complete closure of the port.
(tense music playing)
All ships will head to sea
to escape the storm
while there's still time.
As Dorian's threat increases,
the decision to close Port Miami
is followed by ports further north.
In Port Canaveral,
all boats are ordered to leave.
MATT BEEDLE: All right.
Port's making us get out.
I got a Cat 4 coming
breathing down our necks.
NARRATOR: One of our cameras is with
fisherman Matt Beedle,
captain with commercial fishing fleet,
Wild Ocean.
BEEDLE: I mean the Wild Ocean fleet,
Sindy Sue, Miss Lynn, myself,
going into what they call a barge canal.
They used to use it
to haul coal and everything
to the power plant up in Titusville.
Now we'll try and get tied up
and hunker down.
NARRATOR: While large ships
must head out to sea,
smaller boats can seek shelter inland,
but some can be reluctant to quit
while they could still be fishing.
BEEDLE: You got other boats in the port
that are supposed to be going with us,
and they play the game of,
"Oh, we're not going yet."
And if they can't get out of the port,
the port fines them $30,000 a day.
Plus, if you leave your boat up here
and it breaks loose
and does any damage to anything
or any other boats,
you are responsible
and you are gonna pay out your butt.
(indistinct chatter on radio)
Herb, I guess I'll just go in front of ya.
NARRATOR: The Wild Ocean fleet
will meet to tie up
at a mooring they've used
in previous storms.
(tense music playing)
BEEDLE (off screen): This is the most
boats I've seen up here
ever for a storm.
I ain't ever seen boats up here
like this before.
All these people
that got their boats on the south side,
that is the worst place you wanna be on.
The problem with it is
it's gonna be north and east winds.
It's gonna be at the back of their boats,
not at the bow of their boats.
It's gonna spin those sumbitches around
and put more stress
on their lines than anything.
John, I'm gonna pass you on your port side
and turn around
and put my nose into the wind.
NARRATOR: On the north shore,
the boats are latched together
BEEDLE: Throw 'em that.
NARRATOR: f or increased stability.
BEEDLE (off screen): Throw that line.
Tie it to the bowline.
It's probably already on the beach now.
MAN: You're on the beach.
NARRATOR: Category 4 Hurricane Dorian
is now entering an ominous new phase.
Seen from space,
it's like a monster waking
as Dorian opens its eye.
(tense music playing)
A circular clearing at its center
is a sign of a well-established storm
with the strength to go on growing.
In the next 24 hours,
Hurricane Dorian will make history
in a way no one could have anticipated.
MAN (off screen): September 1st, 2019.
Prepping for the hurricane.
Highest ground in Hatteras
is inside of a truck.
WOMAN 1 (off screen): Top of the morning.
It's about like 6:56.
WOMAN: Ain't nothing happening now
It's just some wind
Some rain. Nothing too crazy yet.
MAN: Shrimp is really good right now.
The shrimp are very plentiful.
Shame the storm is coming on our part.
(thunder cracking)
NARRATOR: 8:00 a.m.
Dorian is flexing its muscles.
(tense music playing)
REPORTER: Winds have been bumped up
to 160 miles per hour.
Hurricane hunters flew through there
and found some stronger winds,
some lower pressure as well,
so they upgraded it.
NARRATOR: Bearing down
on the island of Great Abaco,
Dorian's power intensifies
in three mighty steps.
With the eye five miles from the island,
its winds leap to 185 miles per hour.
REPORTER: 185 mile-per-hour winds.
We could see gusts
up to 220 miles per hour.
We've never seen that before.
So this is a historical event
that is unfolding right before our eyes.
NARRATOR: In the hours before impact,
Dorian has intensified at a rate never
observed before in a storm so strong.
MAN (off screen):
The ocean's already huge here,
and the storm's so far away.
Praying for those people in the Bahamas.
Shoo.
(wind wailing)
WOMAN (off screen):
Okay, time is now 11:52.
WOMAN: The wind has just picked up.
Like a lot, a lot.
It's starting to scare me now.
NARRATOR: Just before noon,
Sunday, September 1st,
Dorian slams
into the island of Great Abaco
to become the most powerful hurricane ever
to hit the Bahamas.
(wind wailing)
MAN: It's 12 o'clock, and stuff's
definitely starting to come apart.
All the coconut trees have snapped off.
NARRATOR: Dorian's extreme winds
gust to a strength
only experienced inside a tornado.
(woman exclaiming)
NARRATOR: The intense pounding
is prolonged
by Dorian's slow speed of travel
across the island.
MAN: Look at that,
open ocean coming across
from the parking lot, the street,
to the marina.
NARRATOR: Dorian's winds have pushed
a 20-foot wall of water onshore.
WOMAN (off screen):
We standing right here.
The apartment building
As we stand, the whole roof came off.
Please pray for us.
Please pray for us, everyone.
Please pray for us.
Pray for Abaco, please, I'm begging y'all.
NARRATOR: By mid-afternoon
MAN (off screen): The eye is here.
NARRATOR: Dorian's eye is now over
the town of Marsh Harbour.
WOMAN: Woo, Abaco.
NARRATOR: An opening in the clouds
17 miles wide.
But Dorian's assault
on the northwest Bahamas
is just getting started.
(thunder cracking)
CAPT. BURDIAN: Good afternoon, Admiral.
Jo Burdian.
We're commencing our 24-hour IM
in anticipation
of tropical storm force winds
arriving within the AOR overnight tonight.
That's all I have, pending your questions.
ADMIRAL (over radio): Thanks, Jo.
NARRATOR: In Miami Coast Guard HQ,
Captain Burdian's incident management team
is briefing all units in the sector.
ADMIRAL (over radio): Do we have anyone
from the Bahamas online?
Okay.
(wind whooshing)
MAN 1 (over radio):
Here we go. Here we go.
Go, we are proceeding inbound to Dorian.
NARRATOR: The hurricane hunter NOAA42
is on its 12th mission
into the eye of Dorian.
MAN 2 (over radio):
Dorian, you've changed.
That is such a different storm.
NARRATOR: Dorian's eye has opened wide.
MAN 1 (over radio): There's a Grand Bahama
sized hole in this wall.
NARRATOR: A stadium of clouds
now 23 miles across.
(tense music playing)
MAN 1 (over radio): It's ugly.
Three, two, one, release mid-point sonde.
Science equipment is go.
NARRATOR: What they discover
is a hammer blow.
As Dorian reaches
the island of Grand Bahama
MAN 1 (over radio):
A very unfortunate place to stall.
NARRATOR: it's westward movement
has stopped.
(tense music playing)
The most powerful Atlantic hurricane
to make landfall
has stalled over northwest Bahamas'
most populated island.
BRENNAN: A storm moving
at a normal speed at that intensity
is going to be devastating.
To have a storm
basically sit over the same general area
is about the worst type of scenario
you could imagine for those areas
in terms of the impacts.
(melancholy music playing)
MAN (off screen):
This is what's left of the resort.
And there's some of the boats
that were in the marina.
NARRATOR: For 36 hours,
Dorian has subjected the Bahamas
to the most
prolonged and powerful battering
of a populated place ever recorded.
HOLMES: It's difficult
to fly over these areas
and look down at the devastation.
To see the level of violence
that these storms can exert
on the surface of the Earth,
and suffering of the people
that are on the ground.
But we gotta get over it.
Because our focus
is the current observation
and how that translates
into protecting people
in the coming days
for this particular storm.
It's a challenge. It's a challenge.
(tense music playing)
BRENNAN: At this point in time,
we're forecasting Dorian
to move north-northwestward,
moving just offshore
of the Florida east coast,
all the way up to North Carolina.
So the impacts
are gonna be over a very large area now.
MAN: Soon as you get it to him,
then get in on there
and get that tied off
and get that bowline.
NARRATOR: Dorian is now heading
for the east coast of the US.
In Mayport, Sea King's captain Ron
is alive to the growing danger.
YOW: Well, with the storm coming,
the wind's gonna be out hard
at the north and the northeast,
I'm wanting to get my bow
headed up into it.
Storms are very unpredictable.
I'm not endangering anyone for money.
That's not worth it to me.
(tense music playing)
MAN 1: It's just crazy out here, man.
It's scary a little bit.
NARRATOR: On the fishing boat Gooch,
off North Carolina,
the spreading anxiety
is captured on camera.
(thunder cracking)
MAN 1: Lightning coming this way.
MAN 2: Y'all wanted a documentary.
You're getting it as real as it gets.
(thunder cracking)
TAYLOR KELSEY AIKEN: It's do or die now.
We're cleaning all of our product
and freezing it, so we don't lose it.
NARRATOR: Hatteras,
on the outer banks of North Carolina,
is on a countdown
to collision with Dorian.
At Jeffrey's Seafood,
brothers Taylor and Kelsey Aiken
handle distribution for
a number of fishing boats on the island.
TAYLOR AIKEN: Trying to get all of
our fish outta here.
They'll be paid for it
and we'll make money on it,
so at least we'll be able to
get something outta this,
ahead of the storm anyway.
NARRATOR: A mandatory evacuation
comes into effect later today.
They need to get as much of their fish
as they can on the last truck out.
(tense music playing)
(truck horn honks)
TAYLOR AIKEN: We were able to get
all of our fresh product out on the truck,
but we had $20,000 worth of product
in our freezer
that we had to, you know, hold onto.
NARRATOR: The risk now is storm surge,
and with it, power outage and flooding.
The freezer is just a few feet
above the ocean.
TAYLOR AIKEN: If it blows 35, 40, 50 miles
an hour out of the northwest,
all that water from across the sound
will come here, and it'll flood.
That's what happened the previous years
when Matthew came.
This right here, that's how high
it was in here in Hurricane Matthew.
That's five foot of water in here,
you know?
But that was insane.
I've never ever seen it that high.
KELSEY AIKEN: That's the latest
satellite image of Hurricane Dorian.
TAYLOR AIKEN: By 8:00 p.m. tomorrow,
it'll be in North Carolina,
and by 8:00 a.m. Friday morning,
it'll be on top of us.
KELSEY AIKEN: Yeah, I don't know,
it doesn't look very good,
to be honest with ya.
NARRATOR: Further north
in the Port of Wilmington,
cargo vessel Ice Ranger
is due to leave for Florida.
With Dorian in their path
and coming this way,
they've made a bold plan
to skirt around the storm.
Leaving port ahead of Dorian's arrival,
they'll pass within 80 nautical miles
of the eye
on their course
for Port Canaveral, Florida.
Taking command for the two-day voyage,
Ukrainian captain, Zakhar Zemlyakov.
CAPT. ZAKHAR ZEMLYAKOV: I am very proud.
I was promoted
5 days ago.
All the responsibility
is now on my shoulders.
Little bit scared
but I have experienced crew.
NARRATOR: Passing this close
to Dorian's eye,
Zakhar expects to face large swells.
(tense music playing)
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
This type of cargo is concentrated juice.
It's a very heavy box.
About 1.6 metric tonnes.
When the ship is moving, rocking,
the cargo could shift to one side.
It could be dangerous for us.
KELSEY AIKEN:
We're looking at some flooding
from what they're saying.
They'll be a foot of water
in that house right there.
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: In Hatteras,
mandatory evacuation
of the island has begun.
TAYLOR AIKEN: It can be that drastic, that
the storm wipes out the roads so bad,
that it takes weeks, even months,
to repair sometimes.
So Kelsey and I, we made a decision
that we were gonna stay
because we wanna be here for our fishermen
and we wanna be here
and be able to recover
everything we can, as fast as we can.
(alarm beeps)
TAYLOR AIKEN: There's the official warning
right there.
Hurricane warning in this area.
Pretty much telling you
that if you haven't made plans
to get out of here,
it's probably time to do it.
(tense music playing)
TAYLOR AIKEN:
Yep, I'm here, this is happening.
You know, there's no going back.
This is what we're doing.
TAYLOR AIKEN: September 5th, 2019,
at my house, ready to go.
Bring what you got, Dorian.
A lot of people left.
We're here for it now.
Whoa, did you see that?
NARRATOR: On the outer banks,
fishing crews keep our cameras running
as they head ashore
to take care of their property.
MAN 1: Man,
it's definitely picking up here.
It is what it is.
NARRATOR: As Hurricane Dorian
prowls the eastern seaboard,
GPS data shows vessels steering clear
of its vast wind field.
But Ice Ranger continues on its course
into Dorian's storm force winds.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen): Valeriy!
Introduce yourself please.
VALERIY KISELYUK:
My name is Valeriy Kiselyuk.
Second officer on motor vessel Ice Ranger.
I'm duty officer right now.
Now we are receiving Inmarsat-C signal.
It's all about Dorian.
Very
scary storm.
NARRATOR: For every 10 miles,
they burn over a ton of fuel.
But taking the shortest route
must be balanced
against the safety of the ship.
(ship creaking)
KISELYUK: With this weather it's difficult
even walking the deck.
(wind wailing)
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
The wind is very strong.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, man. Careful.
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: The planned route
requires the crew to be on high alert,
ready to respond to any change
in Dorian's trajectory or power.
(ship creaking)
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
Of course nobody sleep this night.
You can't even drink the coffee.
No more coffee. No more tea.
Just only keep the watch.
(ship creaking)
NARRATOR: Hurricane Dorian
is moments from making a direct hit
on Hatteras, North Carolina,
its first and only US landfall.
TAYLOR AIKEN: So it's happening.
(wind wailing)
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): Seven o'clock,
September 6th, Friday morning,
we are almost in the eye, you can see it
right there, the whole storm.
And so, it begins.
The power just went out, right now.
And then internet goes out,
and then your phone service goes out.
And then you're like,
"Okay, now I'm really trapped"
because you're not only
physically trapped,
now you're virtually trapped, as well.
(wind wailing)
KELSEY AIKEN: Ooh, what you gonna do?
As the eye is approaching,
you're getting that inner eyewall,
most powerful winds and driving rain
and it's gusting
to about 100 miles an hour,
and pretty wild hearing
the shingles go whoock, whoock,
you know, come off your roof.
(tense music playing)
KELSEY AIKEN (off screen): As you can see,
it's just blowing really, really hard.
As you get though the eyewall
(wind wailing)
you can see it from a distance,
the light changes.
It goes from being very dark
to being lighter, lighter,
and then it goes like dead calm, silent.
(tense music playing)
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): Officially,
officially in the eye, look at the flag.
KELSEY AIKEN: Wow, we're in the eye.
The birds come out and they fly
to wherever they think is gonna be safe.
Animals kinda come out
of their hiding where they were,
and then all of us come out
and explore and see like,
you know, "Wow,
we're in the middle of this."
It's very strange. It's very eerie.
Gives me the chills
just thinking about it.
(tense music playing)
NARRATOR: Hatteras is the most
hurricane prone city in the US.
But even here, being in the eye
is an extraordinary event.
MAN (off screen): Hey, hey.
- Everyone all right?
- WOMAN (off screen): Hey.
TAYLOR AIKEN: I had to go look.
I couldn't take it. I had to go.
KELSEY AIKEN: There was literally
six inches of water
in the bottom of the creek
still draining out towards the sound.
WOMAN (off screen): I mean,
you don't see it this low.
Sometimes you see the bank over there,
but not all this exposed here.
KELSEY AIKEN: When all that water
gets sucked out on the southeast wind,
and then as soon as we get that shift
and that northwest eyewall comes,
it pushes all the water back.
It comes all at once,
like a wall of water.
TAYLOR AIKEN: Next thing you know
(alarm wailing)
TAYLOR AIKEN: There you go. (laughing)
Okay, y'all stay safe.
KELSEY AIKEN (off screen): Bye.
TAYLOR AIKEN:
It's time to get back inside.
WOMAN (off screen): All right, bye guys.
See you soon.
NARRATOR: The eye is surrounded by a band
of the storm's most violent winds,
following just minutes behind.
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): See that?
That's all rain water rushing off the back
into the sound.
I could see the front coming.
I barely get to the house and it starts
blowing hard again and raining.
All right.
The rain started getting really heavy.
Look, that water's coming up so fast.
This is nuts.
TAYLOR AIKEN: Shoulda went home earlier.
Woo!
TAYLOR AIKEN: Let's go!
Whoa, whoa!
That sign. Look at that sign!
Whoa!
(ship creaking)
KISELYUK (off screen):
This is motor vessel Ice Ranger.
We are passing very closely Dorian.
Whoa!
(ship creaking)
NARRATOR: Ice Ranger is at
the most critical part of its journey,
passing within 70 miles
of Hurricane Dorian's eye.
(instruments clashing)
KISELYUK: Very strong.
(ship creaking)
Now we have the captain on the bridge.
He's come to alter the course
to starboard.
NARRATOR: Their plan
is to change direction,
cutting through Dorian's wake
to make for port.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
Now we have a swell of 6.5 meters.
And a significant wave 7.9 meters.
NARRATOR: In heavy seas,
the cargo in Ice Ranger's hold
is at risk of breaking free
of its bindings,
causing a shift in weight
that would leave her gravely unstable.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
Check it out, guys.
37 degrees to starboard.
NARRATOR: In the 25-foot swells,
the rolling motion
is at the ship's safe limit.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen): Whoa.
(ship creaking)
KISELYUK: Right now
is everything falling down.
(dishes crashing)
NARRATOR: Fighting against
the strong wind and waves,
the Ice Ranger's top speed
is reduced by more than half.
(ship creaking)
KISELYUK: Speed right now is 8 knots.
CAPT. ZEMLYAKOV (off screen):
Unbelievable.
(ship creaking)
NARRATOR: Diverting around Dorian
has added a day to the journey.
(ship creaking)
(wind wailing)
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): Yeah,
this is the backside of the eyewall,
the other side of the hurricane.
This is the flooding side.
(wind howling)
TAYLOR AIKEN (off screen): Yeah,
this (bleep) is about to get real.
This is what we got.
It is flooding.
In my backyard, there's been waves.
KELSEY AIKEN (off screen): Pretty gnarly.
NARRATOR: In Hatteras,
Dorian's Category 1 winds
have pushed
a seven-foot wall of water onshore.
A tsunami-like storm surge is ripping
though North Carolina's outer banks.
KELSEY AIKEN: Honestly, right now,
the worst thing is things floating
into your house and taking down
the structure that's there.
Wow, look at it rushing right there.
That is insane.
Can't go past the river.
I'm going inside.
Shut it, shut it, shut it, shut it.
Oh, holy (beep).
Just hoping the wind falls out soon.
Now we were getting messages
from friends and people
saying it was the worst they'd ever seen.
There's the coast guard right there.
(melancholy music playing)
KELSEY AIKEN: Flying around
checking on everybody.
(tense music playing)
(birds chirping)
KELSEY AIKEN (off screen):
It's Friday, September 6th.
It's finally going down.
As far as I know,
everyone's safe in Hatteras.
TAYLOR AIKEN: We're safe.
(melancholy music playing)
NARRATOR: Dorian's passage over Hatteras
lasted four hours.
Even more devastating
than its 90-mile-per-hour winds
was the seven-foot storm surge
that swept across the island.
KELSEY AIKEN:
It buckled the walls right here.
(Kelsey sighing)
Wow, there was a lot of force
coming through here for sure.
TAYLOR AIKEN: All said and done,
we lost thousands of dollars
of frozen fish product,
and we had thousands of dollars
of damage to our business.
KELSEY AIKEN: Holy (beep).
That part of the wall is gone.
All right, we're in.
(dramatic music playing)
KELSEY AIKEN:
You're looking at the damages
and you're saying to yourself
you know, "Well, that sucks,
but all that can be replaced, you know?"
WOMAN: Back down.
KELSEY AIKEN: All right, go.
TAYLOR AIKEN: We're pretty fortunate
considering how bad it could've been.
Compared to what happened in the Bahamas,
we've lost, you know, nothing pretty much.
All right.
Let's not blow the door.
Woo, yeah, good work, guys.
NARRATOR: Cape Hatteras
was the only point in the US
where Dorian made landfall.
Days later, the Aiken brothers
were back in business.
Ice Ranger
arrived safely in Port Canaveral
under the skilled guidance
of its new captain.
In the Bahamas,
Hurricane Dorian was
the island's worst ever natural disaster.
This catastrophic assault lasted 27 hours,
the most prolonged battering
by an Atlantic hurricane
of any populated place
in recorded history.