Every year, hurricane season threatens to devastate communities and ecosystems in certain regions of the world, but hurricanes can be a major source of difficulty for folks all over the globe and all throughout the year — and one of the most dangerous places to be, of course, is on the water.
Getting caught up in a major storm out at sea can prove deadly for fishermen, and no one knows that better than the cast of Deadliest Catch.
The fearless and hearty crabbers who make up the series have braved tempests before, and it’s never an easy task. Here’s what happens when the Deadliest Catch cast encounters a hurricane.
What happens if there’s a hurricane on ‘Deadliest Catch’?
For folks wondering what happens when a hurricane hits while Deadliest Catch cast members are filming the show, you don’t have to guess — the courageous crews have encountered hurricanes on the show in the past.
And in another during that same season, titled “450 Mile Storm,” the crew faced a major storm in the pitch black, which was almost as terrifying to watch as we’re sure it was to encounter. As demonstrated in these episodes, though their livelihood is dependent on their catches, the captains make sure to prioritize the safety of their crew in extreme conditions.
One way to do this is by suiting up, braving the harsh rain and nauseatingly choppy water, and pulling up all the equipment that they can.
Luckily, because poor weather isn’t uncommon while stuck in the middle of the ocean, the crew has special, weather-resistant gear that allows them to brave the storms temporarily while staying as safe as possible.
In pit-crew-esque fashion, the crabbers rush to the surface and pull up the crab pots and additional tools in order to keep the vessels from being weighed down while also preserving their catches and expensive equipment.
Their captains, like beloved Captain Keith Colburn of the F/V Wizard who took charge during the Arctic storms in Season 13, make sure to maintain communication with the crew members on the outside in order to direct operations.
After the crews are done hauling the pots, hopefully bringing up enough loot to make enough money to offset the cost of any damages or missed days of crabbing from the results of the storm, they make sure to hide out below deck or in their quarters until the storm surges calm down.
Even though they do their best to tie down or pull up any equipment — cables, wires, crab pots, and more — that could cause damage to the ship or themselves, it’s still better to tale as many precautions as possible and keep themselves out of the way of potential harm.
