Shadowing Practice: 10 Shocking Natural Disasters Caught On Camera - Learn English Speaking with Video
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From a powerful typhoon in coastal China that caused billions of dollars worth of damage,
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and a seemingly endless landslide in Argentina that almost swallowed a group of hikers, to a crazy tornado in northern China that had everyone on edge,
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and a house floating downstream after catastrophic floods in Yellowstone National Park, here are 10 shocking natural disasters caught on camera.
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If you find yourself hiking in central Argentina, check out the Aconcagua Provincial Park in Mendoza Province.
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Located in the Andes Mountains, the park draws adventurers and thrill -seekers of all shapes and sizes.
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They can go skiing, climbing, and hiking through the stunning mountains.
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They just have to watch out for freak landslides.
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On January 24th of 2016, a group of hikers was crossing a steady stream when their guide heard something in the distance.
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It sounded like an airplane passing overhead, but the sky was empty.
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He knew exactly what that sound meant and ordered everyone to run away.
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Oh, no, no, no.
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Pay attention to the man in the white shirt.
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His name is Julian Insaralde.
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He works as a guide for Aconcagua Provincial Park.
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As he's helping a woman cross the stream, he looks behind him and then overhead.
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He's looking for an airplane.
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That's because incoming rock slides and avalanches sound like a plane passing overhead.
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When he didn't see one, he knew something terrible was about to happen.
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The group stood there for several more minutes, waiting for a safe opportunity.
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The landslide eventually ended, and Julian and his team helped everyone across.
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One thing's for sure, these people will never see planes the same way again.
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June of 2021 was a bad time to be a bridge in China.
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Heavy rainfall during the summer caused extensive flooding across the country.
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In Nanping, a prefecture -level city in Fujian province, water levels in the Mayang Creek allegedly rose to record levels.
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Floodwaters rushed downstream, leaving a pile of debris next to a steel bridge.
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Trees, planks, slats, branches, you name it, it was like a beaver dam full of junk pushing against the frame.
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The pressure kept building, and the bridge finally snapped.
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I don't know what I'm doing.
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The near 500 -foot bridge had just gone up in 2017.
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It wasn't even four years old when the flood washed it away.
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On the bright side, nobody tried to cross when the foundation failed.
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This wasn't even the only bridge in China to fail that day either.
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About two hours north, in the village of Caoting, a pontoon bridge failed under immense flood pressure.
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Thankfully, nobody was hurt during either collapse.
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Mount Stromboli is one of four active volcanoes in Italy.
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It occupies its own island in the Turinian Sea off the north coast of Sicily.
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According to Greek mythology, it's home to the three Aeolos boys, sons of Helen, Poseidon, and Hippotes.
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To modern Italians, it's the lighthouse of the Mediterranean.
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The nickname is due to frequent nighttime eruptions that attract tourists from all around the world.
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On August 28th of 2019, a live webcam trained on Stromboli caught a magnificent daytime eruption.
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The camera's microphone was no match for Stromboli's big boom.
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Thankfully, the video never misses a beat.
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Thank you.
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During the tourist season, Stromboli usually experiences mild explosive activity.
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However, in the summer of 2019, the volcano had one of the most violent eruptive episodes in the last century.
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Two huge eruptions, one on July 3rd and the other on August 28th, caused volcanologists to pay close attention.
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They were worried about two island villages only a few miles from the active crater.
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Out of season, the villages have less than 500 residents and visitors.
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During the summer, that number shoots up to 5 ,000.
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Stromboli usually puts on a safe show, but you can never be too careful with active volcanoes.
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Kajan is a decent -sized town in central Java, Indonesia.
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It's home to about 73 ,000 people, and it's known for its tropical rainforest -like climate.
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Like the rest of Southeast Asia, they're highly susceptible to heavy rainstorms and powerful winds off the Java Sea and Indian Ocean.
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On November 6th of 2022, a local security guard named Bang Royce stood at his post as one of those powerful storms rolled through.
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He worked for Bank Jateng.
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His job was to ensure the bank's safety against would -be robbers.
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There was nothing he could do about the mighty wind and relentless rain.
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Bang said he was just standing there when the storm picked up out of nowhere.
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It lasted for 15 minutes before finally subsiding.
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He remembers the sky staying dark once the wind calmed down.
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According to reports, the extreme weather damaged hundreds of homes and offices.
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The wind knocked over several trees, which landed on people's cars and roofs.
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Thankfully, nobody got hurt by any falling debris.
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Many did lose electricity when the grid went down.
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They didn't get the power back online until later that night.
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Silent Hot is a small city in Inner Mongolia, China.
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It was home to Genghis Khan's older brother during the Ming Dynasty.
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Today, it's home to about 250 ,000 people.
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More than half live in the urban area, while the rest reside along the rural outskirts.
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On June 24th of 2020, a massive tornado moved past the city.
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Those living in the rural districts watched it stretch down from the sky and curve like a ghost's wispy tail.
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It took on the classic tornado color and shape as it picked up dirt and debris.
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Look at how the tornado changes color and shape about halfway down.
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It can only pull dust so far up the column.
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From what we can find, the tornado didn't cause any injuries or much damage.
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It looks like it moved across the countryside and eventually petered out sometime later.
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On August 23rd of 2017, Typhoon Heido slammed into mainland China.
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It made landfall in Zhuhai, a prefecture -level city in Guangdong Province.
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About 2 .5 million people watched as 90 -mile -per -hour winds sent water rushing into their streets.
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If it wasn't bolted down, it got blown away.
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Several videos emerged from Zhuhai City showing just how powerful Heito was.
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According to the South China Morning Post, it was the strongest storm to hit the region in over 18 years.
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Wow, that's crazy.
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Wow, that's crazy.
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Wow, that's crazy.
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Wow, that's crazy.
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Wow, that's crazy.
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Wow, that's crazy.
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Wow, that's crazy.
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Wow, that's crazy is a stone's throw away from Hong Kong.
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Both cities experienced severe damage thanks to Typhoon Hado.
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Hundreds of flights were cancelled, cars were up to their roofs and water, and low -lying areas were totally flooded.
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Skyscrapers usually light up the night sky in both cities.
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After Hado passed, though, everything went dark.
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At its peak, Typhoon Hado slammed into China with wind speeds topping 115 miles per hour.
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Several cranes blew off the sides of skyscrapers.
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As we see in the footage, it was enough to tip 18 -wheelers like Tonka trucks.
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Once the storm subsided, people used canoes to navigate the flooded streets.
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In total, the storm caused about $6 .4 billion dollars' worth of damage across southern China.
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At over 12 ,000 feet, Mount Semeru is the highest volcano on the Indonesian island of Java.
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The locals refer to the steep side volcano as Mahamaru, or the Great Mountain.
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Semeru is very active, experiencing hundreds of eruptions between the 19th and 20th centuries.
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As of today, Semaru has been erupting since April of 2014.
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That eruption peaked on December 4th of 2021.
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It's believed that the lava dome at the summit crater collapsed due to heavy rain, sparking a massive explosion.
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It produced an ash plume that some suggested was 28 miles high.
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Other reports said it was much smaller, only about 7 miles high.
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Whatever the case, the locals living in the village below were in for a harrowing experience.
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It was pure chaos after Mount Semeru blew its lid.
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People fled the nearby villages as rescue workers pushed in to save those in need.
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They found homes and mosques buried up to their roofs in ash.
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There's no way anyone trapped inside could have made it.
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The December 4th eruption was the largest at Mount Semeru in recent history.
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As of December 9th, it had displaced over 6 ,500 people.
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Three districts in East Java were covered in hot ash and lava avalanches.
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The eruption damaged nearly 3 ,000 homes and affected 24 schools across the region.
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Lufeng is a coastal city in China, east of Hong Kong.
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It sits on the banks of the South China Sea, making them vulnerable to typhoons during the stormy season.
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On July 9th of 2015, the 10th named storm of the summer season slammed into coastal China.
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Even though Typhoon Linfa was only a tropical storm, a Category 1 typhoon at best, it still caused plenty of damage in Lufeng City.
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People struggled to stay on their feet, and loose objects got tossed around.
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Those who kept their footing were able to capture some stunning footage.
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At least some of the locals were in good spirits.
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We can't imagine what we'd do if we saw our shower draining bubble up like that.
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Fish swam through cracks in the sidewalk.
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One guy got a kick out of some plastic stools blowing away.
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Wind speeds topped 106 miles per hour when Linfa made landfall.
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It also dropped about 10 .6 inches of rain across southern China.
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Nearly 400 ,000 people were without power, and 56 ,000 others were displaced.
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Hundreds of homes collapsed, and the damage toll reached about $213 million.
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In June of 2022, Montana Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juris declared a statewide disaster due to catastrophic flooding in Yellowstone National Park.
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Heavy rain battered the Yellowstone area.
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That, combined with melting snow, caused widespread flooding throughout the region.
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Several roads and bridges were destroyed, along with a few unfortunate houses.
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Gardiner, Montana is a small community of about 800 people.
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They were among the most affected cities and towns during the Yellowstone floods.
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On June 13th, as the flooding finally calmed, a few locals gathered to watch someone's house float downstream.
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Here we go.
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He's about to hit that top.
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He's about to hit that bridge.
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Oh, look at that insulation.
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I figured it was going to stop.
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Ramon and Nicole Perez worked for the National Park Service.
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They'd been living in employee housing for the past five years.
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They and four other families couldn't believe their eyes when their home fell into the river and floated away.
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A crowd gathered near the bridge when someone spotted the Perez home.
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It had sunk down to the roof and almost made it under.
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To make matters worse, Highway 89 was completely flooded, preventing anybody from getting in or out of the town.
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Tourists were stuck, and locals couldn't get to the grocery store.
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Couples like Ramon and Nicole had to rely on friends for help.
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Camarines Norte is a province on Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines.
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It sits on the banks of the Philippine Sea, leaving them and the rest of the country exposed to powerful typhoons.
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On November 11th of 2020, the 10th storm that year wreaked havoc across the country.
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Typhoon Vamco made landfall around midnight as a Category 2 storm.
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Locals across Camarines Norte took shelter as 80 -mile -per -hour winds whipped through their neighborhoods.
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One family decided to record the storm as it ripped apart the power lines outside.
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Oh The
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families had been without power for a few days.
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They were only a week removed from Typhoon Goni, which destroyed thousands of homes across the Philippines.
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It was also responsible for tearing down the pole.
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Once the storm died down, repair teams drove out to fix the damage.
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They finally got it up and running, but VAMCO had other plans.
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Thank you.
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By midday on November 12th, hundreds of thousands of families throughout the city were left without power or internet.
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Many were stuck in their homes and unable to get food or supplies.
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In the end, Typhoons Vamco and Goni caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
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They were among the costliest in Philippine history.
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If you enjoyed this video and want to see another, then be sure to click the link on screen now.
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As always, thanks for watching, and we'll catch you in the next one.
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Who Is This Video For?
This video is perfect for intermediate to advanced English learners aiming to boost their English speaking practice and IELTS preparation. The mix of vivid storytelling and real-world scenarios helps build confidence in understanding and describing dynamic events—key for IELTS speaking tasks. It’s also ideal for those using a shadowing site or shadowing app, as the clear narration and varied pacing offer great material to mimic.
Words & Idioms Worth Stealing
- Freak landslides: Unexpected, unusual landslides. Example: "Hikers must watch for freak landslides in mountainous areas."
- On edge: Anxious or nervous. Example: "The tornado left the town on edge."
- Put on a show: To perform or display something impressively. Example: "The volcano puts on a safe show for tourists."
- Snapped (for structures): Broke suddenly. Example: "The bridge snapped under flood pressure."
How to Get the Accent Right
Focus on stress and intonation in the video’s narration. Words like "catastrophic" and "volcanologists" have strong stress on the second syllable—practice saying them slowly to avoid rushing. For improve English pronunciation, mimic the speaker’s pacing during dramatic moments (e.g., "Oh, no, no, no!") to capture urgency. Use a shadowing app to repeat phrases like "the pressure kept building"—pay attention to how "kept" blends into "building" with a soft "t" sound. This will help with natural fluency, crucial for IELTS speaking practice.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was hurt · wasn't bolted · were cancelled |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most violent · the strongest · the highest |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was crossing · was just standing |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will never see · we'll catch |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.