NBC News Studios’ new documentary series Survival Mode focuses on survivors of devastating disasters. The nine-episode season premieres on July 7, 2025, with new episodes airing on Mondays at 10pm ET/PT on NBC.
Chris Cassel, Liz Cole, Elizabeth Fischer, Andy Berg, and Molly O’Brien executive produce the series which examines survivors of the Maui wildfires, Hurricane Ian, and Superstorm Sandy. The series also features interviews with first responders and survivors of the AMTRAK 501 derailment, the Costa Concordia sinking, the Joplin tornado, and the Montecito mudslide.
Survival Mode Episode Guide:
- HURRICANE IAN (July 14)
The series premiere features three groups of residents in Fort Myers Beach — a mother and her parents, four close neighbors, and a group of boaters anchored just offshore — who chose to stay and face Hurricane Ian, the deadliest storm to strike Florida in a generation. - MAUI WILDFIRES (July 14)
As flames overtake Lahaina, terrified residents and tourists flee to the ocean in a desperate attempt to survive Hawaii’s deadliest wildfire. - JOPLIN TORNADO (July 21)
When a monstrous tornado strikes Joplin, Missouri, families and strangers alike are thrown into a desperate fight for survival in the deadliest U.S. twister in over 60 years. - THE DERAILMENT OF AMTRAK 501 (July 28)
When a speeding train derails on its inaugural run, passengers are thrust into chaos and forced to find the will to survive amid one of the most shocking rail disasters in recent memory. - MONTECITO MUDSLIDE (August 4)
In the dark of night, Montecito, California residents must outrun a deadly wall of mud triggered by torrential rains after a major wildfire, as homes vanish and lives hang in the balance. - FORT WORTH PILEUP (August 11)
A brutal winter freeze turns a Texas highway into a deadly trap, where drivers and first responders fight to survive a massive, fast-moving pileup. - KENTUCKY FLOODS (August 18)
When unprecedented floods rip through eastern Kentucky, families are forced to cling to rooftops and trees in a frantic effort to escape the raging waters. - SUPERSTORM SANDY (August 25)
As Superstorm Sandy crashes into the East Coast, a city braces for chaos and ordinary people find extraordinary courage as they face unprecedented threats from wind, fire and flood. - THE SINKING OF COSTA CONCORDIA (September 1)
A luxury cruise turns into a nightmare as passengers scramble to escape a sinking ship in one of the most shocking maritime disasters of the 21st century.