Original subtitles

Man: I LOOKED TO MY RIGHT, AND \hTHE WHOLE WALL JUST EXPLODED.

Man: IT WAS LITERALLY LIKE BEING IN A WASHING MACHINE

WITH BRICKS, GLASS \hAND RAZOR BLADES.

Narrator: ON DECEMBER 26, 2004,

A MASSIVE UNDERSEA EARTHQUAKE \h\h\h\h\hTRIGGERED A TSUNAMI

IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.

Woman: WE SAW THIS PLETHORA OF DEBRIS

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT WENT ON FOREVER, YOU COULDN’T SEE THE END OF IT.

Narrator: IN JUST A FEW HOURS,

THE SURGING WAVES CLAIMED \h\h\h\h\h230,000 LIVES.

THE SCALE OF THE DEVASTATION

TOOK WORLD-LEADING SCIENTISTS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY SURPRISE.

Man: JUST COULDN’T GRASP IT.

\hI THINK THE WHOLE WORLD WAS IN A STATE OF SHOCK.

Narrator: WITH EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS AND HOME VIDEOS,

\h\hTHIS PROGRAM EXAMINES THE EVENTS OF THAT DAY...

Man: THERE WAS NO WARNING SYSTEM IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.

Narrator: ...AND INVESTIGATES \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE SCIENCE RACE

TO FORECAST THE NEXT BIG ONE.

Man: IF CASCADIA HAPPENED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTOMORROW,

WE WOULD LOSE TENS OF THOUSANDS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF PEOPLE.

Man: THERE WILL BE A NEXT ONE, \hSO YOU BETTER PREPARE FOR IT.

Narrator: 7:40 AM.

THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, 2004.

ON THE WEST COAST OF THAILAND,

IN THE POPULAR RESORT \h\h\hOF KHAO LAK...

THE BREISCH FAMILY \h\hFROM SAN DIEGO

HAS BEEN TOURING THE COUNTRY \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR THE HOLIDAYS.

Stu Breisch: WE WERE SUPPOSED \h\h\hTHE LEAVE THE NEXT DAY

\h\hAND GO TO ANOTHER VILLAGE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PENINSULA.

AND WE DECIDED THAT WE WANTED \hTO DIVE ONE MORE DAY THERE.

Sally Nelson: WE WERE ALL \h\h\h\h\hREALLY EXCITED

AND GETTING OUR GEAR READY, \h\h\h\h\h\hAND, YOU KNOW,

THINKING ABOUT WHAT A FUN \hEXCURSION IT WOULD BE.

Stu: SHANTI, MY OLDEST DAUGHTER, AND SALLY AND I

BOOKED A DIVE BOAT THAT LEFT \hTHE BEACH ABOUT 8 O’CLOCK.

Narrator: BUT YOUNGEST DAUGHTER \h\h\hKALI AND 16-YEAR-OLD JAI

HAVE OTHER PLANS.

\h\h\h\h\hJai Breisch: MY YOUNGER SISTER AND I

HAD SORT OF STAYED OUT LATE, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU KNOW,

\h\h\hHANGING OUT IN THE TOWN, BUYING STUFF THE NIGHT BEFORE,

AND SHE DIDN’T WANT TO GO OUT \hSCUBA DIVING THAT MORNING,

SO SHE DECIDED TO SLEEP IN WITH ME.

Narrator: ALSO ON VACATION \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE RESORT

\h\h\h\hIS MARINE BIOLOGIST DWAYNE MEADOWS FROM HAWAII.

Dwayne Meadows: I HAD NEVER BEEN SCUBA DIVING IN THAT AREA,

\h\h\hSO I HAD BOOKED MYSELF ON A THREE-DAY SCUBA DIVING TRIP.

IT’S REALLY WARM AND CLEAR WATERS.

IT WAS REALLY SPECTACULAR, \h\h\h\h\h\hVERY COLORFUL.

\hNarrator: 70 MILES SOUTH ON THE ISLANDS OF PHI PHI,

NEWLYWEDS WILL AND AMANDA ROBINS FROM SACRAMENTO

ARE CELEBRATING THEIR HONEYMOON.

Will Robins: IT WAS JUST \h\h\hA BEAUTIFUL PLACE,

WITH JUST LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF PEOPLE ALL TRAVELING

AND HAVING A GOOD TIME,

\hAND YOU KNOW, SUN, BEACHES, YEAH, EVERYTHING YOU NEEDED.

Narrator: THE RESORT IS IN A STUNNING LOCATION,

BUT FOR WILL, THE BEAUTY \h\h\h\h\hOF A HONEYMOON

SURROUNDED BY THE SEA \h\h\h\hAND MOUNTAINS

\h\h\h\h\hALSO RAISES AN UNUSUAL QUESTION.

Will: I LOOKED AT THE ISLAND \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND I SAID,

"IF A TSUNAMI HAPPENED HERE YOU’D BE IN REAL PROBLEMS."

AND I DON’T KNOW WHY \h\h\hI THOUGHT THAT.

BECAUSE YOU LOOKED AT THESE TWO \hTALL MOUNTAINS AND A SANDBAR,

SO THE WAVE WOULD GO STRAIGHT \h\h\h\h\hTHROUGH THE MIDDLE,

AND IT WOULD ALMOST FUNNEL \hTHE WAVE INTO THE ISLAND.

Narrator: 400 MILES \h\hOFF THE COAST,

UNDER THE INDIAN OCEAN, THERE’S \h\hA ZONE OF SEISMIC ACTIVITY.

RUNNING NORTH TO SOUTH HERE

THERE’S A FAULT LINE IN THE EARTH’S CRUST

CALLED THE SUNDA FAULT.

IT’S OVER 1,100 MILES LONG, \h\hLONGER THAN CALIFORNIA.

HERE, THE EARTH’S \hTECTONIC PLATES

ARE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF MOTION.

THE INDIA OCEANIC PLATE IS BEING PULLED DOWN UNDER THE LAND MASS

CONNECTED TO INDONESIA \h\h\h\h\hAND THAILAND.

FOR 19 MILES UNDER THE SEAFLOOR, AND ALL ALONG THE FAULT LINE,

HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF COMPRESSION ARE ABOUT TO CAUSE

A CATACLYSMIC EVENT.

EARTHQUAKE.

CLOSEST TO THE EPICENTER-- \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINDONESIA.

IN THE TOWN OF BANDA ACEH,

THE TREMORS ARE BEING FELT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND FILMED.

\hAS BUILDINGS COLLAPSE, A POPULATION IS STUNNED.

[BEEPING]

7,000 MILES AWAY,

\hAT THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER IN HAWAII,

DR. STU WEINSTEIN IS ON DUTY.

Stu Weinstein: I THINK \h\hOUR PAGERS WENT OFF

SOMETHING LIKE 7 TO 8 MINUTES \h\h\h\hAFTER THE EARTHQUAKE.

Narrator: THE CENTER IS SET UP \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSPECIFICALLY

TO WARN THE POPULATIONS OF THE PACIFIC OF A POTENTIAL TSUNAMI.

\h\hBUT STU ALSO RECEIVES ALERTS FROM THE GLOBAL SEISMIC NETWORK.

INITIAL INFORMATION IS SKETCHY.

\h\h\h\hStu: SO I LOOKED UP, AND I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE

SOME INTERESTING SEISMIC SIGNALS.

\h\hTHE DIGITAL PAGE HAS SOME VERY RUDIMENTARY INFORMATION,

BASICALLY TELLS US WHAT ALARM REGION WENT OFF.

\h\hBUT THERE WAS STILL SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE

I COULD EVEN BEGIN TO EVEN TRY \h\h\hTO LOCATE THE EARTHQUAKE.

\hNarrator: EARLY ESTIMATES REGISTER THE SEISMIC TREMOR

AS A MAGNITUDE 8.5.

Stu: I ACTUALLY CHANGED \h\h\h\h\hA FEW THINGS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND RE-RAN IT, AND IT CAME OUT WITH AN 8.9.

AN 8.9 VERSUS AN 8.5 MAY NOT SOUND LIKE A BIG DIFFERENCE,

BUT IS REALLY MANY TIMES \h\h\h\hMORE DESTRUCTIVE,

RELEASES MANY TIMES MORE ENERGY.

\h\h\h\hNarrator: IN FACT, FOUR TIMES AS MUCH POWER--

\h\hTHE EQUIVALENT OF 17,000 ATOMIC BOMBS.

AND THE EARTHQUAKE \hGETS EVEN BIGGER.

IT’S EVENTUALLY MEASURED \h\h\hAS A MAGNITUDE 9.2.

\h\hTHE THIRD LARGEST IN RECORDED HISTORY.

THE RUPTURE RELEASES \h\h\h\hENOUGH ENERGY

TO RUN AMERICA FOR A WEEK.

AND IT TRIGGERS A TSUNAMI.

AND I SORT OF BUCKLED SIDEWAYS

AND WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH \h\h\h\h\hTHE NEXT WALL,

AND MY WIFE AND I’S HANDS \h\h\h\h\hSLIPPED APART.

Dwayne: THE BUNGALOW \h\h\hJUST LITERALLY

KIND OF DISINTEGRATED,

\h\h\h\hAND I REMEMBER THINKING I JUST NEED TO HOLD MY BREATH.

AND THEN I WAS SPINNING \h\hAND TWISTING AND...

\hIT STARTED TO GET EVEN MORE VIOLENT,

\h\h\hAND, AND THAT’S WHEN I REALLY STARTED TO PANIC.

\hAND THEN THINGS START TO HIT YOU,

START TO REALIZE THIS IS MORE

THAN JUST BEING ABLE \hTO SWIM THIS THING,

\h\h\hIT’S BEING ABLE TO SURVIVE THE IMPACTS OF ALL THIS GARBAGE.

Jai: IT WAS LITERALLY LIKE BEING IN A WASHING MACHINE

WITH BRICKS AND POOL BALLS AND GLASS AND RAZOR BLADES

\h\h\hAND CONCRETE AND FULL PIECES OF PLYWOOD

FLOATING OVER YOUR HEAD \hSO YOU CAN’T SURFACE.

AT ONE POINT, I WAS HIT \hBY A TREE LIKE THIS,

\hAND I BELIEVE THAT’S WHAT KNOCKED MY COLLARBONE OUT.

Will: I’M TUMBLING \h\hOVER AND OVER,

\h\h\h\h\hAND REALIZING, OK, I DON’T HAVE ANY OXYGEN LEFT.

AND THEN REALIZING \hTHIS IS MY DEATH,

THIS IS THE END OF MY LIFE.

Dwayne: AND I START THINKING \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hABOUT MY SON

AND JUST KIND OF SAYING GOODBYES,

SORT OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING \h\h\hCLOSURE ON YOUR LIFE.

Will: AND I REMEMBER CLEARLY \h\h\h\h\h\hSAYING TO MYSELF,

THIS ISN’T HOW I DIE.

\hTHIS IS NOT HOW WILL ROBINS DIES.

\h\h\hJai: I HAD THIS FEELING THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO DIE.

I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT \h\h\h\h\hTHROUGH THIS.

Narrator: AFTER 15 MINUTES OF \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTOTAL WASHOUT,

EVENTUALLY THE WAVES DIE DOWN,

LEAVING A TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THEIR WAKE.

Jai: AND THEN I’M LIKE \h\h\hJUST LAYING THERE

\hIN A FEW INCHES OF WATER, LYING ON THE JUNGLE FLOOR,

LOOKING UP AT THIS \hPERFECT BLUE SKY

WONDERING WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

Narrator: WHILE THE TSUNAMI \hHAS STRANDED JAI INLAND,

WILL ROBINS HAS BEEN TAKEN \h\h\hIN ANOTHER DIRECTION.

\h\h\h\h\h\hWill: IT WAS BANG-- I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN.

AND I LOOK TO MY RIGHT, \h\h\h\hAND THERE I AM

300, 400 YARDS ACROSS THE ISLAND

OUT INTO THE MIDDLE \h\h\hOF THE OCEAN.

\hMY WIFE’S HAND HAD SLIPPED OUT OF MINE,

SO I’D LOST MY WIFE, \h\hAND IT WAS OVER.

Narrator: NASA IMAGES REVEAL \h\h\h\h\hKHAO LAK FROM ABOVE

BEFORE AND AFTER THE WAVES.

THE WHOLE RESORT STRIPPED AWAY.

[BEEPING]

SCIENTISTS AT THE PACIFIC \hTSUNAMI WARNING CENTER

CONTINUE TO RECEIVE \h\hSEISMIC ALERTS.

IT’S BEEN OVER TWO HOURS SINCE THE INITIAL QUAKE.

BUT THERE’S A PROBLEM.

Stu: THERE WAS VERY LITTLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINFORMATION

COMING FROM THE SOURCE OF WHERE THIS HAPPENED.

\h\h\h\h\hTHERE WAS NO SEA LEVEL INFORMATION,

SO WE WERE KIND OF FLYING BLIND.

Narrator: THERE ARE NO CONFIRMED REPORTS OF A TSUNAMI

FROM ANY SOURCE.

Stu: WE WERE JUST TRYING TO CALL PEOPLE THAT WE KNEW

IN THAT REGION.

\h\h\h\h\hAT THAT TIME, INDONESIA AND THAILAND,

NONE OF THEM HAD REALLY INVESTED IN THE COMMUNICATIONS

\h\h\h\h\hTO GET A WARNING OUT TO THE PUBLIC IN THE AREAS AT RISK,

SO THE PEOPLE HAD NO WARNING.

\h\h\h\hNarrator: AS THE TSUNAMI RADIATES OUT FROM THE EPICENTER,

THE NEXT TO FEEL ITS WRATH IS THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA.

THEY, TOO, HAVE NO WARNING.

AN UNSTOPPABLE WALL OF WATER

ENGULFS THE COASTAL TOWN \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF GALLE.

\h\hTHE TSUNAMI SUBMERGES THE CENTRAL BUS STATION.

IN MINUTES, A WHOLE TOWN \h\h\h\h\hIS UNDERWATER.

\h\h\h\h\hACROSS THE REGION, COUNTRY AFTER COUNTRY IS HIT

BY THE FORCE OF THE TSUNAMI.

THE WAVE EVEN RACES \hACROSS THE OCEAN,

REACHING AS FAR AS SOUTH AFRICA,

\h5,000 MILES AWAY FROM THE EPICENTER,

11 HOURS AFTER THE QUAKE.

THE DEATH TOLL IS STAGGERING.

OVER 230,000 LIVES TAKEN.

IT’S THE DEADLIEST TSUNAMI \h\h\h\h\h\hEVER RECORDED.

Stu: I WAS, JUST, MY GOD,

\h\h\h\h\hWHAT, WHAT, WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY, YOU KNOW?

IT WAS JUST KIND OF \h\h\hOVERWHELMING.

Narrator: IN INDONESIA, SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL

THE EXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION

IN THE PROVINCE OF ACEH \h\h\h\h\h\hFROM ABOVE.

AN ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD \h\hWIPED OFF THE MAP.

\h\hIN THAILAND, THE BEACHES THAT WERE ONCE PARADISE ARE IN RUINS.

Jai: IT WAS SOMETHING OUT OF A HORROR MOVIE OR A WAR ZONE.

IT WAS VERY, VERY GRUESOME \h\h\h\h\h\hAND VERY REAL.

Narrator: IN THE HOURS \h\h\hAFTER THE IMPACT,

MEDICS AND SURVIVORS \h\hSTRUGGLE TO COPE

WITH THE SCALE OF THE DISASTER.

TEENAGER JAI BREISCH MAKES IT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO A HOSPITAL.

Jai: I’M ONLY 16,

AND ALL I HAD TO MY NAME WAS \h\h\hA PAIR OF BOXER SHORTS,

NO PASSPORT, NO MONEY, NO PHONE, NO PHONE NUMBERS.

Narrator: HIS PARENTS WERE \h\h\h\hAT SEA SCUBA DIVING

WHEN THE WAVE HIT.

\hAND THERE’S NO SIGN OF HIS YOUNGER SISTER KALI.

Jai: MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THEY WERE ALL DEAD.

AND THAT HIT ME KIND OF HARD.

’CAUSE I JUST KNEW \h\hTHEY WERE DEAD.

\h\hNarrator: A HUGE TSUNAMI HAS DEVASTATED THE COASTLINE

OF 18 COUNTRIES AROUND \h\h\hTHE INDIAN OCEAN.

SALLY AND STU BREISCH HAVE BEEN OUT AT SEA

ON A SCUBA DIVING TRIP

AND BARELY NOTICED THE TSUNAMI \h\h\h\h\h\h\hPASS UNDER THEM.

BUT WHEN THEY RETURN TO SHORE,

THEY GET THE SHOCK \h\hOF THEIR LIVES.

Sally: WE SAW THIS JUST, \h\hA PLETHORA OF DEBRIS

THAT WAS, THAT WENT ON FOREVER,

AND I MEAN, YOU COULDN’T SEE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE END OF IT.

WHEN WE GOT TO THE BUNGALOWS AND THEY WERE ALL DEMOLISHED,

AND THE TREES WERE ALL PULLED UP BY THE ROOTS,

AND IT WAS COMPLETE SILENCE.

Narrator: FOREMOST \h\hIN THEIR MINDS

\hIS THE LOCATION OF THEIR TWO TEENAGE CHILDREN, JAI AND KALI.

Stu: I HAD HOPE, BUT I REALLY WAS PREPARING MYSELF MENTALLY

FOR LOSING BOTH OF THEM, BECAUSE NOBODY COULD HAVE SURVIVED THAT.

\hNarrator: FOR DAYS, STU AND SALLY SEARCH,

\h\h\h\hJOINING THE THOUSANDS LOOKING FOR LOST LOVED ONES.

Sally: WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE PROBABILITY

\h\hTHAT BOTH JAI AND KALI COULDN’T HAVE SURVIVED IT.

Narrator: THEN, AFTER FIVE DAYS, THERE’S NEWS.

\hTHEIR SON JAI IS AT A HOSPITAL IN BANGKOK

AFTER BEING TRANSPORTED THERE

BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUSNESS \h\h\h\h\hOF HIS INJURIES.

AND THEY’RE REUNITED.

Stu: WE JUST LOOKED \h\hAT EACH OTHER,

\h\hAND I JUST HUGGED HIM AND WE BOTH WERE CRYING.

\hHE REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE ALL DEAD, EVERY ONE OF US.

HE THOUGHT HE WAS THE ONLY ONE \h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT HAD SURVIVED.

Narrator: FINDING JAI IS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA RELIEF,

BUT THE REUNION IS BITTERSWEET--

THERE’S NO SIGN OF KALI.

WITHIN HOURS OF THE TSUNAMI,

\h\hNEWS OF THE DISASTER IS BROADCAST AROUND THE WORLD.

Newscaster: THE MOST POWERFUL \h\h\hEARTHQUAKE IN 40 YEARS

\h\h\h\h\hOCCURRED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA TODAY.

Newscaster: MORE THAN 11,000 \h\h\hPEOPLE ARE NOW THOUGHT

TO HAVE BEEN KILLED \hIN SOUTHERN ASIA.

\hNewscaster: REPORTS ARE OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DEAD,

WITH THE DEATH TOLL \hEXPECTED TO RISE.

Narrator: THE U.S. NAVY IS THE FIRST TO RESPOND

IN A MASSIVE INTERNATIONAL \h\h\h\h\h\hRELIEF EFFORT.

THE U.S.S. ABRAHAM LINCOLN \h\h\h\h\h\hLEADS THE WAY.

\h\h\h\h\hDoug Crowder: IN THE LOW-LYING AREAS

WHERE MANY OF THE VILLAGES WERE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT MET THE SEA,

IT’S JUST PANCAKED.

Narrator: OPERATION UNIFIED \h\h\h\hASSISTANCE INVOLVES

MORE THAN 12,000 STAFF,

2 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS \hAND 12 CRUISERS,

PROVIDING UP TO 90,000 GALLONS \h\h\hOF CLEAN WATER EVERY DAY.

Doug: WE’RE GOING TO FLY \h\hWHEREVER WE’RE NEEDED

TO GET SUPPLIES AND PEOPLE \h\h\h\h\h\hBACK AND FORTH

\h\h\h\h\hTO THE PEOPLE MOST AFFECTED BY THIS.

Narrator: THE AIR RELIEF ALONE

MOVES OVER 6,000 PASSENGERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO SAFETY,

AND PROVIDES 5,000 TONS OF FOOD \h\h\h\h\hAND MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

WHILE THOSE AFFECTED LOOKED \hTO CLEAN UP AND REBUILD,

TSUNAMI SCIENTISTS AROUND \h\hTHE WORLD TAKE STOCK.

Eddie Bernard: I THINK JUST COULDN’T GRASP IT.

\hI THINK THE WHOLE WORLD WAS IN A STATE OF SHOCK.

Narrator: THE SINGLE BIGGEST \hFACTOR IN THE LOSS OF LIFE

WAS THAT IN 2004 THERE WAS NO \h\hEFFECTIVE WARNING SYSTEM

IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, UNLIKE SOME OTHER REGIONS, LIKE THE PACIFIC.

Gerard: WHAT I THOUGHT WAS \h\h\h\h\h\hWE’VE BLOWN IT,

THAT WE HAD OUR BLINKERS ON.

WE WERE SO CONCENTRATED ON \h\hTHE PACIFIC, YOU KNOW,

BECAUSE THE THREAT IS VERY REAL.

\h\hWE HAD IGNORED THESE OTHER PLACES.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED THERE.

Narrator: BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SEA LEVEL DETECTORS

AND POOR COMMUNICATIONS,

IT TOOK ALMOST FOUR HOURS \h\hBEFORE SEISMOLOGISTS

\h\h\h\hHAD CONFIRMATION THAT THE EARTHQUAKE HAD TRIGGERED

A TSUNAMI IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.

\hIan Robertson: I THINK THE INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI

WARNED THE REST OF THE WORLD \h\hTHAT THEY’RE NOT IMMUNE.

Eddie: THE TSUNAMI DOESN’T CARE \h\hWHICH COUNTRY YOU’RE FROM,

IT DOESN’T CARE WHICH \hLANGUAGE YOU SPEAK,

AND IT DOESN’T CARE WHAT \h\h\hRELIGION YOU HAVE,

IT’S GOING TO KILL YOU.

\hNarrator: THE BEST CHANCE OF PREVENTING A TRAGEDY LIKE THIS

EVER HAPPENING AGAIN?

CREATE A GLOBAL TSUNAMI \h\h\h\hWARNING SYSTEM.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE PROBLEM IS EARTHQUAKES UNDER THE SEA

ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT.

AND EVEN WHEN THEY DO OCCUR,

REACTING QUICKLY ISN’T \hTHE ONLY CHALLENGE--

BECAUSE NOT ALL EARTHQUAKES \h\h\h\hPRODUCE A TSUNAMI.

Eddie: THIS IS WHERE A WARNING \h\h\h\hSYSTEM IS SO CRITICAL.

\h\h\hIT DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THE SHAKING WHICH IS DANGEROUS

\hVERSUS THE SHAKING THAT’S NOT DANGEROUS.

Narrator: WHEN A MASSIVE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hEARTHQUAKE

RUPTURES THE SEAFLOOR, IT FORCES A HUGE VOLUME OF WATER UPWARDS,

\h\h\h\h\hAND ACROSS THE SEA AT UP TO 500 MILES PER HOUR.

WHAT SCIENTISTS WANTED TO DO WAS TO USE THIS WAVE MOVEMENT

TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.

ENGINEERS AT THE PACIFIC MARINE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hENVIRONMENTAL LAB

RAMP UP TECHNOLOGY

THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN \h\hAT PROTOTYPE STAGE--

A GLOBAL ARRAY OF DEEP SEA \h\h\h\hTSUNAMI DETECTORS.

THEY’RE CALLED DART BUOYS,

OR DEEP OCEAN AND ASSESSMENT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF TSUNAMIS.

THE PROBLEM WAS DEPLOYING \hA GLOBAL ARRAY OF BUOYS

AT SEISMIC AREAS IN DEEP SEA HAD NEVER BEEN TRIED BEFORE.

\hChristian Meinig: WE KNEW OUR TECHNOLOGY HAD TO BE EXPANDED,

\h\h\h\hIT HAD TO WORK ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET.

THE MOORING LINE HAS \hA BIG SPOOL INSIDE

THAT CAN GO UP TO SIX KILOMETERS OF WATER DEPTH NOW,

SO WE CAN DEPLOY THIS JUST WITH \hA CRANE, IT’S REALLY SIMPLE.

THE BRAINS OF THIS THING IS \h\hON THE SEAFLOOR, RIGHT,

SO WE HAVE A BOTTOM PRESSURE GAUGE THAT SITS ON THE BOTTOM

AND IT COMMUNICATES TO THE BUOY \h\h\h\hWITH AN ACOUSTIC MODEM,

SO IT ACTUALLY SENDS \hDIGITAL INFORMATION

\h\hTHROUGH THE SEAWATER, AND THE BUOY RECEIVES IT.

Narrator: THEN THE BUOY \h\hTRANSMITS A SIGNAL

\hTO A SATELLITE THAT BEAMS DATA DIRECTLY TO THE WARNING CENTERS.

ALL IN TWO AND A HALF MINUTES.

\hIN 2004 THERE WERE JUST SIX PROTOTYPE DETECTORS--

THREE OFF THE COAST OF ALASKA, \hTWO OFF THE NORTHWEST COAST,

AND ONE ON THE EQUATOR.

TODAY, 60 OF THESE DART BUOYS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE POSITIONED

AT STRATEGIC POINTS \hAROUND THE WORLD.

IN THE RACE TO GET A WARNING OUT

BEFORE A TSUNAMI HITS THE COASTS,

WHEN A WAVE IS DETECTED, IT’S THEN UP TO COMPUTER MODELERS

TO MAKE A FORECAST, AND FAST.

Vasily Titov: TSUNAMI PROPAGATES WITH THE SPEED OF A JETLINER,

AND EVERY MINUTE COUNTS.

WHILE WE CANNOT PREDICT \h\h\h\h\h\hEARTHQUAKE,

IF WE CAN DETECT IT VERY FAST,

\hAND THEN MEASURE TSUNAMI THAT ORIGINATED FROM THAT,

\h\h\hTHEN WE CAN PREDICT HOW TSUNAMI WAVE WILL PROPAGATE.

\hNarrator: IN 2004, VASILY TITOV CREATED

THE FIRST COMPUTER \hGLOBAL SIMULATION

OF THE INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI.

BACK THEN A FORECAST TOOK \h\hEIGHT HOURS TO BUILD.

\hBUT SINCE THEN, PIONEERING ADVANCES HAVE TAKEN THAT TIME

DOWN TO LESS THAN 45 MINUTES,

AND WITH MUCH MORE DETAIL.

\h\hVasily: IF YOU USE DIFFERENT COLORS FOR DIFFERENT AMPLITUDES,

\hTHEN YOU START TO VISUALIZE THE WAVE,

YOU ACTUALLY CAN SEE THE WAVE.

THAT’S QUITE STUNNING.

WE CAN PROBABLY NOT \hDEFEND OURSELVES

COMPLETELY FROM TSUNAMIS,

SO WHAT YOU CAN DO IS \hTO DO THE FORECAST

AND THEN ACT TO SAVE LIVES.

\h\hNarrator: AND ONLY SIX YEARS AFTER THE INDIAN OCEAN DISASTER,

THE NEXT REAL TEST WOULD COME.

2:46 PM.

MARCH 11, 2011.

80 MILES OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN,

A MAGNITUDE 9 EARTHQUAKE TRIGGERS A HUGE TSUNAMI.

WITHIN MINUTES,

A NETWORK OF SEISMIC STATIONS \h\h\h\hAND FAST OBSERVATION

CONFIRM THE WAVE.

MANY PEOPLE RESPOND AND MAKE FOR HIGHER GROUND.

\h\h\h\h\hWHEN THE TSUNAMI HITS, IT DEVASTATES JAPAN’S COASTLINE.

THE ENERGY OF THE WAVE \h\h\h\hIS SO POWERFUL

\h\hTHAT IT TRAVELS ACROSS THE PACIFIC,

\h\h\h\h\h\hEVENTUALLY REACHING AMERICAN SHORES 10 HOURS LATER,

CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE \h\hIN PIERS AND HARBORS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN JAPAN, DESPITE THE ADVANCE WARNING,

\h\h\h\hTHE TSUNAMI KNOCKS OUT A NUCLEAR REACTOR IN FUKUSHIMA,

THREATENING NUCLEAR MELTDOWN.

ACROSS JAPAN 19,000 PEOPLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE KILLED.

BUT IT’S ESTIMATED THAT WITHOUT \h\hA WARNING SYSTEM IN PLACE,

THE GLOBAL DEATH TOLL WOULD HAVE BEEN 10 TIMES THAT NUMBER.

THE TSUNAMI-DETECTING BUOYS \h\h\h\h\hLOCATED OFFSHORE

SENSED THE WAVE, AND A FORECAST WAS CREATED WITHIN 45 MINUTES.

NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR THOSE ON THE COAST,

BUT ENOUGH TIME FOR COUNTRIES OUTSIDE OF JAPAN TO EVACUATE,

WHERE THERE WERE JUST \h\h\hTWO CASUALTIES.

Vasily: UNLIKE THE INDIAN OCEAN, WE WERE NOT BLIND.

WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

Narrator: THE SYSTEM WORKED.

\h\h\hBUT THERE WERE ALSO CRUCIAL LESSONS LEARNED.

\h\hTHE NEXT TSUNAMI FORECAST WILL HAVE TO BE EVEN FASTER.

Vasily: WHAT WE CAN DO IS \h\hTO DEVELOP THE SYSTEM

THAT WILL PRODUCE THE FORECAST \h\h\h\hIN A MATTER OF MINUTES,

BETTER SECONDS, SO THAT PEOPLE \hON THE COAST WILL BE WARNED.

\h\h\hNarrator: AS SOME LOOK TO FUTURE-PROOF THEIR COASTLINES,

OTHERS ARE LOOKING FOR WHEN AND WHERE

A KILLER WAVE WILL HIT AGAIN.

\h\hAND THEIR SIGHTS ARE SET ON THE WEST COAST OF AMERICA.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h50 MILES OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST

\hLURKS ANOTHER SEISMIC ZONE KNOWN AS THE CASCADIA FAULT.

JUST LIKE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN,

HERE OCEANIC CRUST \h\hIS BEING PULLED

UNDER THE CONTINENTAL SHELF.

WHEN IT BREAKS,

A TSUNAMI WILL HIT THE COAST \h\hIN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES.

Eddie: IT COULD HAPPEN TO US, \h\h\h\hIT WILL HAPPEN TO US,

IT’S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE CRITICAL QUESTION IS WHEN WILL THE NEXT BIG ONE HAPPEN?

NO ONE CAN BE 100% CERTAIN.

SOME SCIENTISTS SAY THERE IS \h\h\h\hA ONE IN THREE CHANCE

THAT A MAGNITUDE 8 OR 9 EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI

\h\hWILL HIT AMERICA IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

Gerard: IF SUCH AN EVENT \h\h\hHAPPENED TOMORROW,

WE WOULD BE SURPRISED,

BECAUSE REALLY LARGE EARTHQUAKES ARE RARE,

SO WE WOULD ALL BE SURPRISED,

BUT NOT THAT SURPRISED.

THERE WILL BE A NEXT ONE.

\h\h\h\hIan: IF WE HAVE A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE ON THAT FAULT ZONE,

WHICH IS PREDICTED,

IT WILL CAUSE A TSUNAMI WHICH WILL INUNDATE THAT COASTLINE

WITHIN 20 TO 30 MINUTES.

IF CASCADIA HAPPENED TOMORROW

WE WOULD LOSE TENS OF THOUSANDS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF PEOPLE.

THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF \h\h\h\h\h\hTHOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

ALONG THAT COASTLINE WHO WOULD BE EXPOSED,

AND MANY OF THOSE WOULD NOT HAVE A WAY TO GET TO HIGH GROUND.

Narrator: THE QUESTION FOR \h\h\h\h\hSCIENTISTS NOW IS

WILL AMERICA BE READY?

\hOREGON STATE UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS HAVE DESIGNED

A TEST FACILITY THAT THEY BELIEVE COULD SAVE LIVES.

THIS IS THE LARGEST TSUNAMI \h\hSIMULATOR IN THE WORLD.

\h\h\hA DIRECTIONAL WAVE-MAKING MACHINE

GENERATES TSUNAMI-LIKE \h\h\hSURGES OF WATER.

CAMERAS AND WAVE GAUGES MEASURE \h\h\h\hEVERY SPLASH AND CRASH.

THE TARGET OF ONE EXPERIMENT,

A SCALED DOWN MODEL OF THE TOWN \h\h\h\h\h\hOF SEASIDE, OREGON,

THAT’S RIGHT IN THE PROJECTED \hPATH OF A CASCADIA TSUNAMI.

Patrick Lynett: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A TSUNAMI FLOWS THROUGH

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT?

MEANING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT FLOWS THROUGH

GRIDS AND BLOCKS OF BUILDINGS?

Narrator: AS THE WAVE RUSHES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDOWN STREETS,

\hAROUND MODEL HOUSES AND OFFICE BUILDINGS,

JUST LIKE THE TSUNAMI

AS IT SURGED THROUGH \hBANDA ACEH IN 2004,

\hTHE BEHAVIOR OF THE WAVE ALLOWS SCIENTISTS TO CREATE

\h\h\h\h\hCOMPUTER MODELS OF THE PREDICTED TSUNAMI’S FLOW

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Patrick: WHAT WE SAW WAS THAT \h\h\h\hIT GETS CONCENTRATED.

SO THE WATER DEPTH GETS LARGER, \h\hTHE VELOCITIES ARE HIGHER.

WITH THAT COMES A GREATER \h\hPOTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE.

[SCREAMING]

\hNarrator: THE SHOCKING SCENES FILMED ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN

IN 2004 COULD BE REPEATED \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN AMERICA.

TEN YEARS AGO, PAT SAW FIRSTHAND

THE DEVASTATION THE INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI CAUSED.

\hPat: WITHIN A WEEK, I WAS ON THE GROUND IN SRI LANKA

WITH A LARGE TEAM.

\h\h\h\h\hWHAT WE SAW IN 2004 IN THE INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI,

IT WAS A WAKE-UP CALL.

IT SHOWED US THAT TSUNAMIS \hON MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE

CAN COMPLETELY DEVASTATE \h\h\h\h\h\hCOMMUNITIES.

\h\hNarrator: SITUATED IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON,

NEAR THE CITIES OF SEATTLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND PORTLAND

IS THE TOWN OF OCEAN SHORES.

WHEN THE CASCADIA FAULT BREAKS,

THERE ARE JUST 30 MINUTES \h\hBEFORE THIS HAPPENS.

Ian: THERE WILL BE PEOPLE \h\hWHO WILL TRY TO FLEE

BUT WON’T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO.

AND THEY WILL PERISH BECAUSE

\hTHE TSUNAMI’S GOING TO COME TOO QUICKLY.

Narrator: 20 MILES SOUTH,

A SIMILAR SCENARIO THREATENS \h\h\hLONG BEACH, WASHINGTON.

LOCATED BETWEEN THESE TOWNS \h\h\h\h\hIS OCOSTA SCHOOL.

Ian: THE COMMUNITY AROUND OCOSTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

\h\h\h\h\hDECIDED THAT BECAUSE THE STUDENTS WOULDN’T HAVE TIME

TO EVACUATE TO HIGH GROUND,

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY NEEDED TO PROVIDE A VERTICAL EVACUATION STRUCTURE.

THE PLAN IS THAT THERE WOULD BE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOUR STAIRCASES

TO ACCESS THAT ROOF.

SO IT WILL BE THE FIRST BUILDING SPECIFICALLY BUILT

\h\h\hFOR VERTICAL EVACUATION IN THE WEST COAST OF THE U.S.

HOPEFULLY NOT THE LAST.

Narrator: AND IT’S NOT JUST \h\h\h\h\hTOWNS AND CITIES

IN THE DIRECT FIRING LINE OF A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI

THAT ARE UNDER THREAT.

\hPat: WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT TSUNAMI DAMAGE,

\hYOU THINK ABOUT FLOODING, YOU THINK ABOUT INUNDATION.

IF YOU’RE IN A PORT OR A HARBOR,

YOU CAN GET TREMENDOUS TSUNAMI \h\h\hDAMAGE WITH NO FLOODING,

WITH NO INUNDATION,

AND THIS TSUNAMI DAMAGE IS BEING CAUSED BY THE STRONG CURRENTS.

Narrator: INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE \h\h\h\h\hFROM JAPAN IN 2011

GAVE PAT THE FIRST-EVER \h\h\h\hVISUAL EVIDENCE

OF A DESTRUCTIVE PHENOMENON--

A TSUNAMI WHIRLPOOL.

Pat: IT’S TREMENDOUS.

THE WHIRLPOOL TAKES UP \h\h\hTHE ENTIRE PORT,

AND IT’S SPINNING SO FAST THAT \h\hYOU HAVE WHITE WATER RAPIDS

ESSENTIALLY ROTATING AROUND \hTHE CENTER OF THIS IMAGE,

THE SCALE OF THAT WAS SOMETHING \h\h\h\hWE HADN’T SEEN BEFORE.

Narrator: PAT IS SETTING UP \h\h\h\hA UNIQUE EXPERIMENT

IN THE WAVE TANK.

Pat: AKUD, IF YOU COULD GET \h\h\hALONG THE BREAKWATER,

AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN TO THE BREAKWATER.

\h\hWHAT WE’RE DOING TODAY IS APPROXIMATELY A 1 ON 30 SCALE

\h\h\hOF A REAL TSUNAMI IN A PORT OR A HARBOR.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTO DO THAT WE USE SURFACE TRACERS,

\h\hAND THAT’S WHAT THESE BLACK BALLS ON THE WATER SURFACE ARE.

AS THE TSUNAMI STARTS TO MOVE,

YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THESE BALLS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSTART TO MOVE

WITH THE FLOW OF THE WATER.

Narrator: A SCALED DOWN \h\hTYPICAL HARBOR WALL

IS SET IN THE PATH OF \hTHE ONCOMING WAVE.

\hPat: OK, CONTROL ROOM, WE ARE OK TO RUN A WAVE.

Man: OK, WAVE MAKER STARTED.

Pat: THE WAVE MAKER IS PUSHING \h\h\h\h\hFORWARD VERY SLOWLY.

YOU CAN START TO SEE THE RIPPLES ON THE WATER SURFACE.

THERE IS A WAVE ABOUT \h\h\h\hAN INCH HIGH

PUSHING TOWARDS THE BACK \h\h\hOF THE WAVE BASIN.

YOU’LL SEE THAT THE TRACERS \h\h\hARE STARTING TO MOVE.

Narrator: EVEN THOUGH THE WAVE

IS JUST THREE CENTIMETERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN HEIGHT,

\h\h\h\hIT REPRESENTS A THREE-FOOT TSUNAMI.

WATER STARTS TO FUNNEL THROUGH \h\h\h\hTHE GAP AND ACCELERATE.

Pat: NOW THE WAVE MAKER \h\h\h\hIS RETRACTING,

IT’S PULLING A DEPRESSION WAVE,

THE WATER IS STARTING \h\h\h\h\hTO REVERSE.

Narrator: AT FULL SCALE, \hTHIS MAN-MADE WHIRLPOOL

WOULD MAKE EVEN A THREE-FOOT \hTSUNAMI POTENTIALLY DEADLY.

Pat: YOU CAN SEE THESE \h\h\h\h\hRADIAL WAVES,

TO GIVE YOU ALMOST THAT \h\h\h\hHURRICANE LOOK.

THE BEST WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT

\h\h\hIS TO COMPARE IT TO THE POWER OF MOVING AIR.

\h\h\h\hSO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE STRONGEST TORNADOES WE HAVE

\hWHERE THE AIR MOVES AT ABOUT 300 MILES PER HOUR,

THAT EXERTS A FORCE \h\hON A BUILDING.

WATER MOVING AT JUST \h\h10 MILES PER HOUR

GIVES YOU THE SAME FORCE \h\h\h\hON THAT BUILDING

\h\h\hAS AIR MOVING 300 MILES PER HOUR.

WHEN WE FIRST REPLAYED \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE IMAGES,

IT DID SURPRISE US AT HOW FAST \h\h\h\h\hTHE WATER WAS MOVING.

\hHOW HIGH THE WATER MOVES UP AND DOWN IS QUITE SMALL.

IT’S EVEN HARD TO SEE.

BUT HOW QUICKLY THE WATER MOVES HORIZONTALLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE

IS AMAZING, IT’S VERY ENERGETIC.

WHEN YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION,

YOU CAN START TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP HARBORS AND MARINAS

THAT ARE RESILIENT, \hTHAT CAN’T BREAK.

\hAND SO THEY START TO BECOME ACCOMMODATING FOR DISASTERS.

\hNarrator: WHILE PORTS AND HARBORS ARE NOW BETTER ABLE

TO PLAN AND PREPARE,

\h\hFOR THE POPULATION OF THE NORTHWEST COAST,

THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR.

\h\hEddie: IT’S IN YOUR BEST INTEREST

TO TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES.

YOU COULD STICK YOUR HEAD \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE SAND,

IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME, THAT’S, THAT’S ABSOLUTELY TRUE,

BUT I THINK YOU OWE IT TO YOUR FAMILY TO SAY,

"WELL, IT’S A POSSIBILITY,

MAYBE WE OUGHT TO, WE OUGHT TO \h\h\h\hPRACTICE AND PREPARE."

Narrator: SCIENTISTS CONTINUE \h\h\h\h\h\hTO RECEIVE ALERTS

\h\h\hOF THE PLANET’S SEISMIC ACTIVITY 24/7

\hAND LOOK FOR WAYS OF FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE FORECASTING

OF FUTURE TSUNAMIS.

\h\hTODAY A WARNING CAN GO OUT IN AS LITTLE AS FIVE MINUTES--

FIVE TIMES FASTER THAN DURING \h\h\h\h\hTHE JAPAN TSUNAMI.

AND FOR THOSE WHO LIVED THROUGH \h\h\h\h\hTHE DISASTER IN 2004,

THEY’LL NEVER FORGET THE WAVE’S \h\h\h\h\h\hDESTRUCTIVE POWER.

IN THE DAYS IMMEDIATELY \h\hAFTER THE DISASTER,

SALLY AND STU BREISCH WERE \h\h\h\hAMONG THE THOUSANDS

LOOKING FOR LOST FRIENDS \h\h\h\h\hAND RELATIVES.

THEY HAD BEEN OUT AT SEA \hON A SCUBA DIVING TRIP

DURING THE TSUNAMI,

BUT TWO OF THEIR TEENAGE \hCHILDREN, JAI AND KALI,

WERE IN A BEACH BUNGALOW \h\h\hWHEN THE WAVE HIT.

INCREDIBLY, FIVE DAYS AFTER \h\h\hTHEY WERE SEPARATED,

JAI WAS FOUND AT A HOSPITAL \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN BANGKOK.

BUT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF KALI.

\h\h\hSally: WE KNEW PRETTY MUCH IN OUR HEARTS THAT SHE WAS GONE.

Narrator: FOUR DAYS LATER, \hKALI, JUST 15 YEARS OLD,

WAS IDENTIFIED AMONG \h\hTHOSE FOUND DEAD.

Stu: I JUST REMEMBER HER AS BEING SO FULL OF LIFE

AND JOY AND MISCHIEF.

I REALLY, REALLY MISS HER.

Narrator: HONEYMOONERS AMANDA AND WILL ROBINS

HAD BEEN SEPARATED BY THE WAVE,

WHICH DRAGGED WILL OUT INTO THE OCEAN.

\h\h\h\h\h\hWill: IT WAS BANG-- I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN.

\hAND I LOOK TO MY RIGHT, AND THERE’S MY WIFE RIGHT THERE,

THREE FEET FROM ME.

AND I GRABBED HER ARM,

\hAND SHE’S JUST SCREAMING, "I’M BROKEN, I’M BROKEN, I’M BROKEN."

\hAmanda Robins: I DON’T THINK I TRULY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

ALSO BECAUSE YOUR BODY,

\h\hYOUR MIND IS JUST IN A STATE OF SHOCK.

Narrator: WHEN A RESCUE BOAT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOUND THEM,

WILL AND AMANDA WERE IN NEED OF URGENT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

\h\hWILL’S COLLARBONE WAS BROKEN, AND HIS EAR WAS ALMOST TORN OFF.

\h\h\h\hBUT AMANDA FEARED SHE COULD BE PARALYZED--

HER PELVIS WAS SHATTERED.

Amanda: YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE \h\h\h\h\h\hTO DO TO SURVIVE.

I THINK WILL DID AN AMAZING JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT WE SURVIVED

AND DID IT TOGETHER.

Will: IT DEFINITELY CHANGED \h\h\hMY LIFE, COMPLETELY.

\h\h\h\hAND I HAVE MY WIFE AND MY WONDERFUL DAUGHTER,

AND IT’S GIVEN ME A PERSPECTIVE.

Amanda: WE WERE YOUNG. \hWE WERE JUST MARRIED.

YOU TAKE A LOT OF THINGS \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR GRANTED.

AND YOU’RE JUST NOT ABLE \h\h\hTO DO THAT ANYMORE.

YOU JUST CAN’T. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.

\hBECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WAS LOST.

Jai: I WOULD SAY IT TOOK \h\h10 YEARS TO RECOVER.

I MEAN, TO GET BACK ON TRACK,

TO GO THROUGH THE GRIEF \h\h\h\h\hAND THE LOSS

AND TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DEAL \h\h\h\hWITH THE CHRONIC PAIN.

Dwayne: IT STILL AFFECTS ME \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THIS DAY.

BEYOND PROCESSING THE TRAUMA

\hIS SORT OF REANALYZING YOUR PRIORITIES IN LIFE.

Narrator: DWAYNE RETURNED \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THAILAND

TO HELP SOME COMMUNITIES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hREBUILD.

Sally: THIS KIND OF THING CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, ANYWHERE.

Will: IT WAS A HARD ROAD, \h\h\hAND IT WAS PAINFUL,

\h\h\h\h\hBUT WE GOT TO, WE GOT TO DO IT TOGETHER,

AND WE GOT TO SURVIVE, SO.