AllMovie

This series from the History Channel explores some of the most dangerous and deadly natural disasters of all time, including this episode on volcanoes and the destruction they cause to every living thing around them. Focusing on some of the most notorious eruptions in the 20th century, Wrath of God first looks at the volcano on Kilauea in Hawaii. This volcano erupted for 15 years, and even though it caused much destruction to the surrounding areas, it is a symbol of reverence to the people of Hawaii. The 1902 eruption on the island of Martinique took the lives of almost 30,000 people in mere seconds. More recently, Mount St. Helens, in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, caused much notoriety and devastation when it erupted in 1980, making it the largest 20th century volcano eruption in the country. Interviews with scientists and volcano experts shed light on why, how, and when volcanoes will blow and how a volcano can sit dormant for hundreds and even thousands of years and then suddenly erupt.