1755 - The Lisbon Earthquake

The great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 was the first great natural disaster to strike the heart of a large European city. For six minutes the earth shook, bringing down churches, palaces, and thousands of houses. After a 15-meter-high tsunami submerged the lower city, fires broke out and wrought more damage. The program shows how the quake unfolded and draws many parallels to the tsunamis of 2004 and the perpetually threatened California coastline, including crisis management and city planning.