Powerful winds flip a 30 tonne truck, a tornado tears through a school gym, and a gigantic wave drags tourists down a 12-story drop. Watch these heart-stopping moments that strike hard and fast.
In life, everything can change in an instant, and that's never more true than when weather is involved; whether documenting a devastating tornado or intentionally putting oneself in danger, Mother Nature always keeps people on their toes.
Satellites and computer modeling make weather prediction admirably reliable; weather is a complex stew of potent global forces; it can churn itself into an explosive force of terrifying ferocity, one that levels cities and snuffs out lives.
Nature's wrath comes in many forms: torrential, unforgiving rain, a vicious blast of unseen wind, a turbulent, powerful flood; a calm day is worth embracing; nature puts people who aren't careful in their place.
Some weather events are so weird they defy explanation -- even from the most seasoned meteorologists; they're the rarely-seen phenomena that puzzle and capture one's imagination.
Challenging the weather is a bold move on anyone's part, but Mother Nature is always stronger, and yet, it's human nature to test the limits, whether for sport, for knowledge or as a reaction to a surprise event.