Extremely bad weather can bring out the very best in people. In these desperate situations, the heroic hand of a stranger may be the difference between life and death for someone. Sometimes, in these extreme situations, it can simply be the superhuman spirit that keeps a person alive. All of these stories of bravery, defiance and heroic acts come from places confronted with extreme and death-defying situations around the globe.

Winds whip up a deadly wildfire that torches a town; ferocious ocean waves leave storm watchers stranded; white water rafters are pummeled by rain and rocks during a trip down the Grand Canyon.

A microburst in Mexico brings down a plane; a rare tornado outbreak catches an entire town off guard; alone in the Atlantic, a 70-year-old solo rower battles a fierce ocean storm; wild white waters sweep away a hiker.