[ Thunder crashes ]
That structure will not
survive a tornado.
[ Crying ]
worried for our safety.
Without security
from a storm, we die.
Your house is surrounded
by danger trees.
Whoa!
Those are huge claw marks.
A bear will get in here,
maul you guys, and eat you.
We have to sort
the water issue.
There's bugs floating
in there right now.
That's a tick bite.
You have an infection.
You think you could
survive an apocalypse?
Unless he tries to
eat me, yeah.
Okay. So let's recap --
No water, bear scratching
down the front door,
No power, tornadoes,
no storm shelter.
There's nowhere safe.
Did I miss anything?
Yeah. [ Grunts ]
-Chest hair? [ Laughs ]
-no.
Ticks.
Narrator: marty raney's been
building homesteads
For 40 years.
Marty:
I was raised off-grid in
The toughest place on earth,
alaska,
And I've taught my kids
everything I know.
Misty: a homestead needs to be
nurtured every day.
You get out what you put in.
Matt: I have the utmost respect
for wildlife.
Hunting is a privilege
and a necessity.
Narrator: together, the raneys
save homesteads...
Misty, shut it down!
Narrator:
...on the edge of disaster.
We're gonna get struck
by lightning.
Let's get out of here.
-This is crazy.
-No!
I'm getting really worried that
we're not gonna make it.
Ah!
My resume, I'll show it
to you right now.
--Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
Marty: some really ominous
clouds out that way.
Misty:
we're in tornado alley.
Isn't your middle name windy?
-Yeah.
-It was gonna be.
Mom got involved and saved me
from a lifetime of misery.
I'll take full credit.
I named her misty windy raney,
But I got overruled on windy,
Even though she's
made up for that since.
[ Laughing ]
♪♪
Those are oak trees.
Their roots are
completely attached.
They were just totally
ripped out of the ground.
Yep.
Don't be surprised if we have
a tornado issue
While we're here.
Yeah, that's scary.
I'm really glad that
I'm wearing my brown pants.
♪♪
Narrator:
the raneys are responding
To a desperate sos call
From a homestead that lies
directly in the middle
Of the notorious tornado alley.
This is a risky place
to homestead
With numerous species
of dangerous wildlife,
A growing population of bears,
Venomous snakes, deadly spiders,
And an expl*si*n
of disease-carrying ticks.
But by far, the biggest threat
to life comes from violent,
Destructive storms
And tornadoes with
They've inflicted $12 million
of property damage
In the last year,
And in the last month alone,
storms have k*lled 20 people.
And lying directly in
the path of destruction
Is a homestead
living on borrowed time.
Hello!
There are some signs of life.
-Hi.
-How are you doing?
Good. How are you guys?
Marty raney.
Cheyanne.
It's nice to meet you.
-Cheyanne?
-Richard.
-Yes.
-Richard?
We just drove through
tornado carnage.
-Yeah.
-It's scary, isn't it?
So, the worst tornado
experience you've encountered
Was a couple of nights ago.
-Yes.
-Yeah.
Where were you guys
during the tornado?
-Right there. Right there.
-Inside.
Cheyanne: you can feel
the whole house shake.
Richard: yeah, we had, like,
So, how many tornadoes
have you...
-Been through?
-One or two a month.
-What?
-Yeah.
I don't feel safe enough here
Knowing that we can be gone
at any given time,
If there is a tornado,
and they happen a lot.
Richard: wave at the camera.
So I'm cheyenne.
-And I'm richard.
-Rudulph.
We're the rudulphs.
Ow. I had a bug fly in my hair.
Narrator: after being medically
discharged from the army,
Richard's goal
was to live off-grid
With his wife, cheyanne.
Well, this dream
of homesteading,
This freedom is exactly
what I fought for.
It is one of the best moves
I have ever made,
But it's also one of
the most difficult ones
I've ever had to deal with.
Narrator: they borrowed $25,000
to buy their dream acre
And a half of missouri forest.
We moved here with
the intentions
Of living off the land
And being self-sustainable.
But we don't have
the animals we need.
We don't have the crops.
We don't have any kind
of electricity.
We have a makeshift rain
catchment system.
This is what we use
to clean ourselves with.
There's ticks everywhere.
We go outside, and within
a couple minutes,
We're covered in ticks.
Narrator: struggling with
a tick infestation
And no power or water
Was just the beginning
of the nightmare.
Bears try to come
through our kitchen,
And you can hear them clawing,
and you can hear them growling.
We don't have firearms.
We have an ax.
You don't use an ax
against a bear. You die.
We don't have anything to use
against a bear, so we die.
Yeah.
Narrator: but the biggest threat
to their lives...
Richard: don't walk out.
Do not walk out in it.
Narrator: ...is the terrifying
force of nature.
Cheyanne:
richard, be careful.
When we moved here,
I didn't realize
That we were moving
into tornado alley.
Can we please get inside?
Come on.
If a storm hit,
we have nowhere to go.
We are stuck here.
Right now, I really wish
we were back in oregon.
[ Crying ] I didn't think that
we were this unprepared.
I thought everything
would be okay,
And I'm realizing that
We're not at all, at all.
Richard: without security
from the storm, we die.
Without fresh water, we die.
Without adequate
food storage, we die.
The only hope we have
is the raneys. That's it.
-Okay. Let's not waste any time.
-Mm-hmm.
Can I get a tour
of the property with you?
Yeah.
And I think I would be
most concerned,
Right now, about big trees.
-Yeah.
Never have I met homesteaders
living in this much fear.
This young couple just
barely survived a tornado.
Over 20 people have died in
the last month or so
In this area,
And tonight,
the forecast is...
Tornadoes.
Narrator:
the raneys have just eight days
To rescue the rudulphs.
Fixes must use materials found
on the homestead or save lives.
I mean, look at this guy.
This tree hits that house,
you're dead if you're in it.
Yeah.
And you're homeless
if you're not in it.
I mean, you have
a tree issue here.
Your house is surrounded
by danger trees
Ready to crash down
on that house,
Either k*ll you
or render you homeless
In the next storm,
which could be tonight.
Yeah.
I've been wanted to take down
these large ones for a while,
But my shoulders are bad
because I was injured
While I was in iraq.
I got hit by an ied
and I got blown up.
All right.
So I have a bad back,
And then I have
some shoulder issues.
That's why I was
medically discharged.
I'm not afraid to work at all,
But it's really difficult
for me.
Wow. Okay.
Did you cut that down?
Yeah.
I don't have a chainsaw.
All I have it a small ax
and then a finish cut saw.
That's it.
You cut that tree
down with that?
And this. Yeah.
That tells me
you're not afraid of work.
I would look at these trees,
and I would say,
"I wanna meet that guy
because he's determined,
He's a worker,
and this guy needs help."
Fact.
Our work is cut out for us.
[ Exhales sharply ]
And we won't be using that.
Trust me.
♪♪
You have a bear
on the homestead.
-Yes.
-Ooh. Okay.
Those are huge claw marks.
I mean, look at that.
That's insane.
I was sleeping, and I woke up
to hearing the scratches.
Luckily, the bear
stepped down right there,
On one of the nails,
And ran away
because he hurt himself,
But while running away, he ended
up running into our wall
And shaking the house.
It was really scary.
-Really?
-Yeah. They walk our property.
What's right on the other side
of this wall right here?
-That is our kitchen.
-Can we go inside?
Can you just show me?
All it takes is just
one motivated bear
That's really hungry,
And they're gonna have a bear
Inside the house
where they sleep.
So this is the kitchen,
and that's the window
On the outside where
the bear scratches are.
That is there until it is
full of rotten food,
And we take it out.
Do you have any
proper food storage?
No.
[ Chuckles ] it smells.
Bears have an insanely
strong sense of smell.
This is like a magnet
bringing them in.
That scares me a lot.
If a bear gets in here,
It'll rummage through
everything very easily
And just maul you guys
and eat you.
♪♪
Narrator:
across the homestead,
Misty's checking out
the food sources to see
If the rudulphs
are set up to survive.
There's rosemary.
There's thyme, basil,
and there is comfrey.
-This is it --
-yes.
-...what we're looking at.
-Yep.
Well, I can tell you
right now,
You're eating 100%
at the grocery store.
Yeah, we are.
And as of now, there's
no livestock here, right?
No. I don't want to put
livestock on this property
Knowing that they could get
ticks, and they could get sick.
Ticks, they carry
lyme disease, right.
Yeah.
You would just end up
struggling with sick animals
On top of all of
your other burdens.
I feel useless here,
and it sucks.
[ Sniffles ]
Really badly, it sucks.
I love the idea of being able
to fend for yourself
And know that you can
sustain yourself and I can't.
I don't know what I'm doing
or how to do it.
[ Crying ]
I'm sorry.
Misty:
cheyanne lives in tornado alley.
She has bears scratching
down her front door.
The food, the water situation
is pretty desperate.
I mean, these are real
needs that she has,
And she's in fear.
She lives in fear.
♪♪
If we are ever gonna fail
on a homestead,
I mean, this might
be the one.
When the next tornado
comes through here,
I don't even want to think
about what could happen.
Okay. So let's recap.
No food, no water, bears
scratching down the front door,
No power, tornadoes,
no storm shelter,
There's nowhere safe.
Did I miss anything?
Yeah.
[ Grunts ]
Chest hair? [ Laughs ]
No. Ticks.
[ Laughing ]
Narrator:
to save this homestead,
Misty will try to tackle
The dire food situation
by introducing livestock
That she hopes will
also combat ticks.
Matt must bring power
to the homestead
And ward off hungry bears.
But no one is safe
from the next tornado
Unless marty can clear
And build a life-saving
emergency storm shelter.
There's a tremendous amount
of work to do here.
Bottom line, really, is I hope
there's enough time to do it.
Narrator: coming up,
the raneys risk all...
Whoa!
Narrator:
...as they face the most
Challenging rescue ever.
Swivel.
This is a ton of work.
We don't have enough people.
Richard: hey, marty,
these are my brothers.
-Yes!
-Let's go.
Marty: this is their life.
This is where they live.
There's zero margin
for error on this one.
When you want to
move your house,
You don't cut it
in half with a chainsaw
And move it with an excavator?
What's wrong with you?
Narrator: it's just two days
since devastating tornadoes
And storms hit missouri, causing
damage and claiming lives.
Can we please get inside?
Come on.
Narrator:
the raneys have arrived to help
Two terrified homesteaders
With no food or power
under attack from hungry bears
And whose only shelter
is a fragile cabin
At risk from being crushed
by trees in the next storm.
♪♪
Your fear is legitimate,
and we can see it in your eyes.
That structure will not
survive a tornado.
If the winds are high enough to
blow one of these trees down --
Yeah.
...right across the center
of it, it'll k*ll you.
It's scary. It's very scary.
So I've been worried about it
every single time
We have a storm.
It's gonna be my mission
here to make this house
That you live in much safer.
Together, we're going to
make it safer, am I right?
And we're gonna be
using these, right here.
-Cool.
-Awesome. Thank you.
We're so happy that the raneys
are here to help us out.
These trees can take down
my cabin at any point.
We can die tonight
if the storm comes through.
I'm responsible now for cutting
all these trees down
And not hitting the house.
[ Scoffs ] that's a lot of
responsibility,
And I can't guarantee that
a mistake won't be made here.
And let's pray
it's not that guy.
That tree's gonna
k*ll somebody someday.
♪♪
Narrator: marty's starting with
the towering 100-foot,
The rudulphs' cabin.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
[ Whistles ] stand back.
So the first part, he's going
to cut out this massive wedge.
I mean, it's gonna look
like a slice of cake.
He'll cut out that notch
in the front
And take that piece
of the pie out.
Narrator: the direction of
the wedge cut that
Marty leaves should allow him
to control where the oak falls.
And then he's gonna cut from
the other side into the notch.
I feel a bit nervous because it
can go wrong at any given point.
We're not sure what direction
it will really fall.
I'm terrified.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Timber.
[ Tree cracking ]
Misty: timber!
Timber.
♪♪
That was cool.
Narrator:
the massive oak has brought down
Other trees in its path.
Real careful in there,
a lot of stuff spring-loaded.
Cheyanne: I'll be careful.
Narrator: spring-loaded trees
are highly dangerous.
The large oak falls,
pulling down surrounding trees
And catching them
under its branches,
Creating lethal
spring-loaded limbs
That could snap at any moment.
He's created a slingshot
off of the tree
That's all the way bent,
And it could whip back
and hit you.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
I got to alleviate
this pressure.
This tree is dangerous.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Cheyanne:
do you want me to start
Moving these out of your way?
-Okay.
I'm gonna try
to take this down.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Whoa!
-You okay?
-Whoa.
I just was gonna tell you...
-Where'd you get hit?
-I just got bumped.
-Where'd you get hit?
-I just got bumped.
No.
It's okay. I'm okay.
No, it wasn't.
We gotta look at it.
-We're -- i...
-Dad, I just got bumped.
-Get over here.
-[ Laughs ]
That could have k*lled you.
My dad's face, he looked
more traumatized than I am,
But, you know, I'm his kid.
I'm his daughter.
He wants everybody to be safe
at the end of the day.
Look how many trees
we have to cut.
This is the very first day
and I'm bleeding.
I can't wait to watch
that footage. [ Laughs ]
Don't show my dad.
♪♪
Narrator: the next morning,
With the area
still on tornado alert,
The pressure
is on everyone to clear
As many dangerous
trees as possible.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Richard: we have a lot of work
to do, right.
And no matter how much work
is ahead of us,
I'm gonna do my best to be
right there with everyone,
Right there busting my butt
with everyone else.
We could just spend all of
our time clearing these trees
Because they all have to go.
Narrator: cheyanne rolls up
her sleeves, too,
And gets to grips with
the chainsaw for the first time.
Whoo-hoo.
Narrator: by mid-morning,
The front
of the cabin is cleared,
Giving the rudulphs around
$2,000 in valuable lumber.
That's a heavy stump.
These oak trees, you can
sell them to saw mills
And get a lot of money.
There's actually a resource
on this homestead in these trees
That are gonna help us
pay for these projects.
Narrator: and marty's already
spent a wad
Of their newfound cash
On some serious iron.
-Look at that.
-Oh, whoa.
Who's that guy
with the cowboy hat?
-That's my dad.
-[ Laughs ]
Ow! That thing is huge.
Whoo-ha!
What, where, when, how, why?
And could you have got
a bigger piece of equipment?
What is this for, exactly?
Does it matter?
That means he's digging.
-That's what it's for.
-[ Laughs ]
It's a long story, a long story.
This is the biggest cat
I've seen in my life.
Yeah, we need to move
a lot of heavy logs.
But I've got something
else up my sleeve.
♪♪
[ Horn honks ]
Right this second, if a tornado
drops out of the sky,
The biggest tornado
in the world,
Where would you
run to right now?
There?
-You own them now.
-Yes!
Let's get a closer look.
I don't need a master's.
I don't need a bachelor's.
I don't need a phd to figure
out the best structure...
Come on. Do it.
...to keep these homesteaders
safe from a tornado.
It's viking size!
You're so rude.
You think they give
these away?
-No.
-Exactly.
Guess what?
See those big oak trees?
-Yeah.
-All right.
We got a buyer
at a saw mill for it. Okay?
So you paid for these
with your own resources
On your own homestead.
Should it make you feel good?
-Yes, very good.
-Definitely.
You think you could survive
a tornado in here?
-Oh, hands down.
-Yes. I feel safe in here. Yes.
-Hands down.
-Okay.
You think you could survive
an apocalypse?
Unless he tries to eat me, yeah.
Okay.
Do you think you could survive
armageddon in one of these?
-Yes.
-Definitely.
No. That one, you probably
won't survive.
[ Laughter ]
Cheyanne:
you keep thinking that.
We're gonna connect
that one to this one,
Bury it, and put
a door on the front.
It's that simple.
Narrator: to create a sanctuary
from storms,
Marty plans to excavate
From the hillside to create
a 12x15-foot trench.
Will provide both
foundation and drainage,
And the two 10-ton culverts will
be moved and locked into place.
Treated lumber makes up
the surrounding walls,
And finally, the whole
structure will be buried
In 18,000 pounds of soil,
Creating a shelter ready
to take on a tornado.
Hold on. [ Whistles ]
let's not get all happy.
We got to cut to the chase
and get them off of here,
So get out of there, please.
-Okay.
-All right, guys.
-Thank you.
-Come on, big guy.
Oh, I got it.
Narrator:
with no cranes on-site,
Marty plans
to lift this massive load
With his excavator's
extendable arm.
Listen. I'm a big believer
in hand signals.
You don't stand here like this
and watch somebody get k*lled.
-Okay? Read me?
-Hey, dad, over here.
What?
We're going to give you
hand signals. Don't worry.
-Hey, dad.
-Dad. Okay. Now let's go.
This thing has got to be
hooked up right.
Otherwise, a freaking
disaster could happen.
Let's go.
All right. Shackles on.
Narrator:
Is the equivalent of lifting
five large pickup trucks.
Watch your fingers!
We're just putting
these stoppers on,
Making sure they go
in these holes
So that it can lock
these cables in place.
Everybody out of there.
I got to boom out.
♪♪
Misty:
it's not really that safe.
-Get closer.
-It's moving.
The whole thing is swinging.
It's heavy.
You're about to
flip that truck.
Misty: stop. Stop.
Marty: it's all I got.
Narrator: marty has maxed out
the boom height on
The excavator's arm,
And the 10-ton load has shifted
dangerously towards the edge.
We can't get high enough
to lift them off of there.
We're gonna have to come up
With something creative here.
♪♪
Narrator: straight ahead...
Somebody grab that nasty log.
Now get up on there.
Dad, what are you trying to do?
Narrator:
...marty feels the pressure.
-Dad, swivel.
-I don't know.
You guys tell me what's...
Narrator: and the homestead
pays the price.
Marty: no!
Oh my goodness.
Narrator:
the raneys are in the wilds
Of missouri's tornado alley
Facing their biggest
rescue ever.
They are attempting to save
a couple with no food,
Water or power,
terrified by a bear
And at the mercy
of k*ller storms.
Right now I really wish
we were back in oregon.
[ Thunder crashes ]
You're about to flip that truck.
Narrator: marty wants to turn
two 10-ton culverts
Into a life-saving
concrete storm shelter,
But the first one is in danger
of sliding off the truck.
We can't get high enough
to lift them off of there.
I'm under stress.
It has to go perfectly.
There is zero margin
for error on this one.
♪♪
Ready?
Obviously, we're struggling
with height.
His boom only goes up so high.
What about dragging it back?
No, we can't drag.
We're going to tip this truck
over and destroy
That concrete bunker.
Stand back. I got an idea.
I'm gonna grab that nasty log,
And then
I'll set a smaller one.
Now get up on there.
Get some lift.
Here we go.
Narrator: his solution --
Try to use
the massive oak logs to build
A heavy-duty staircase.
Hang on.
Whoa.
Now, that's precision.
Richard: I've seen marty
over there, like,
Moving around trees
like they were toothpicks.
He was really, like,
tossing them around.
It was crazy.
Hang on.
[ Machine beeping ]
Misty: you got two feet from
the trailer.
Matt: I call that good.
I'm going up.
Richard, throw me these.
-Gotcha.
-It's in.
-Let us get out.
-Everybody clear, please.
♪♪
Going up!
Misty: when that thing's moving,
it's kind of terrifying.
Matt: dad,
you're walking it forward.
Hang on.
♪♪
♪♪
-He's got it.
-You've got it, dad.
Misty: whoo!
Pull him out.
Tell him to get up there.
-Tell him.
-Pull ahead.
Go.
Good. Clear. This is it.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
That whole stack logs up,
That was just
homesteading genius.
It looked crazy,
but it really worked good,
So always surprised.
Never ceases to amaze,
the old man.
[ Laughs ]
Narrator: the second culvert
is off the truck,
But with the excavator
at such an angle,
Marty's flying blind.
Misty:
it's like trying not to crack
An egg with an excavator.
-Hitting the log?
-Yep.
Swivel.
I can't, not the way
to let it down.
If you go out,
that could cut it.
Is that what you want me
to do?
-I don't know.
-I don't think you can.
You guys tell me what to do.
Oh, man.
Marty: I chipped the concrete,
but I think we can fix that.
But you get an engineer out here
he couldn't figure it out.
You get an architect out here,
Those things will
still be on the truck.
You get somebody
needlessly overeducated,
Those things will be
on there for two years.
What do you do?
You start thinking
the alaskan way.
[ Laughs ]
The alaskan way?
I don't even know, really,
what it is except
For it's real chaotic.
-Marty: I can hear you.
-[ Laughing ]
Jeez. She's adopted.
If there was ever a time
for this homestead
Not to be relaxed, it's now.
There's a lot of work
to be done here.
Two concrete storm drains at
the edge of a homestead driveway
Does not make
for a safe homestead.
Narrator: saving the homestead
from tornadoes
Is not the raneys' only worry.
Misty wants to combat ticks
And warn of
approaching predators,
And she's come up with
a livestock solution.
I'm thinking guineafowl.
They're an alarm system.
They travel in packs,
And they're actually
quite vicious,
Quite loud, and they alert
you when there's predators.
It's my own little
protection, got it.
Yeah. Ticks is, like, one of
the biggest problems here.
-Yes.
-Right?
And they're excellent
pest control.
And lastly, they're such
a cheap livestock to have.
It basically
costs you nothing
Because they forage
for all of their food.
-They love to roost in trees.
-Okay.
We're gonna build
a guineafowl tree house.
Awesome.
Narrator: misty's plan is to
build a guineafowl tree fort
Using materials
on the homestead.
Wooden joists will make up
a platform
And a plywood roosting house
will be covered
With a watertight
recycled car-tire roof.
Draped chicken wire
will create a post-free,
Predator-proof enclosure,
Keeping the guineas safe
And able to act as
an alarm system.
[ Drill whirring ]
This is the base.
We'll have another one
on this side.
We'll run some deck.
We'll build the coop around
the tree just like a treehouse.
-Make sense?
-Yes, it does.
You're pretty handy,
my friend.
I try. Like that?
-Yeah.
-Whoo-hoo.
Cheyanne's doing really good.
She's a fast learner.
She's getting really handy
with the drill,
And the base
is pretty much done.
She's just been so eager
to pick up a power tool and go.
Well, if I'm not able to,
or if I'm unwilling,
Then I'm kind of back
at square one
And kind of useless
on my homestead,
And that's not something
I want to be.
No. You're great.
You're doing great.
-Okay, done.
-Awesome, because i...
Let's slap some plywood up.
Still making it day by day,
trying to figure out
If we're going to get
taken out by a tornado
Or if we're gonna get
mauled by a bear,
But been given so much hope
for this place, finally.
♪♪
Narrator: the next morning,
marty's been up
Since dawn clearing
more danger trees.
We can't make one
improvement here
Until the trees are removed.
There's not room
for a storm shelter,
And we're running out
of time to do it.
Narrator: marty's early-morning,
tree-felling shift
Has allowed sunlight to fall
on the the homestead,
And given matt a bright idea.
If we could figure out how to
harness the energy of the sun
That you soak in,
You'd make a really
good solar panel.
I'm just saying.
[ Laughs ]
I'm not convinced that
you guys are actually
Going to put this on tv.
If that doesn't make it, you're
going to get a heated e-mail.
No. [ Laughs ]
I'm looking at all
these trees cleared,
And there's a lot of sunlight.
I think the only way that
I can bring protection
To this homestead
is by bringing power,
And I'm thinking solar.
-How would solar work, though?
-Yeah.
How would you do that
for protection?
You guys don't have a proper
way to store your food,
And those bears
can smell all the food
That you have in your house.
With solar power, you guys
could run a fridge 24/7.
Tornado-wise, if you guys
don't have a radio,
If you guys don't have
a cellphone,
You know, you're not
gonna get a warning.
I mean, that's how power
equals protection.
Awesome, let's do it,
high-five.
Awesome, man. Yeah.
-High-five?
-Yes.
-Sweet.
-Thank you for your help.
Thank you for making sure
that we are protected here.
Narrator: matt's solar build
needs to be rock-solid to stand
A chance against
the missouri tornadoes.
This looks like a chunk
of an old foundation
That came from god knows where,
But I'm gonna repurpose it,
upcycle it, reuse it,
And that's what homesteading
should be about.
♪♪
This plan rocks.
Whoo!
Narrator:
matt will dig a 3-foot trench
And bury the 1/2-ton,
concrete slab
To create a dead man's anchor.
A custom-made, wooden frame
with solar panels
Will be secured
to the concrete,
Tying the structure
deep into the ground,
And the kilowatt solar system
will provide ample electricity
To power a fridge
and communication devices.
♪♪
Matt raney, unchained!
Got to get this super tight.
Richard: the way the raneys work
is freaking awesome.
I love seeing
all this upcycling,
All this recycling of
the materials around us.
It is genius.
Matt:
maybe we'll find some gold!
♪♪
I'm calling it good.
-It looks good to me.
-Oh.
This massive chunk is going to
anchor it into the ground,
And it doesn't matter if massive
high winds come through here.
These solar panels are
definitely gonna give
That tornado a run
for its money.
Narrator: marty has left
the worst danger trees
Until last,
But with a small forest left
to clear around the cabin,
He's speeding up the process
using an old logger's trick --
Knocking down
three at a time.
Take the wedge out of this.
Take the wedge out of that.
I can knock them down
with that one.
-That one right there?
-Yep.
I've seen this before.
This really isn't that crazy.
It's actually gonna save us
time, plus it'll be really cool.
[ Saw whirring ]
Cheyanne:
it's gonna go on the house.
There it goes.
Marty: no!
-Yes, it is.
-No!
♪♪
Oh, my goodness.
♪♪
Narrator:
k*ller tornadoes threaten
A terrified missouri couple.
That structure will not
survive a tornado.
Let's go!
Narrator: marty raney's big play
to save the homestead
Is to build a 20-ton,
concrete storm shelter...
Everybody out of there!
Narrator:
...but he's short on time
And luck and manpower.
My shoulders are bad
because I got hit by an ied
While I was in iraq.
Wow.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
-ah!
-Whoa.
-I could've k*lled you.
If there was ever a time
for this homestead
Not to be relaxed, it's now.
Narrator:
now as the pressure rises
And with
so many danger trees to fell,
Marty's plan to drop three
at a time has backfired.
Marty: no!
Oh, my goodness.
Marty:
I've got some issues.
The two leading trees kind of
pulled the domino tree
In a direction,
And I saw it happening,
and I was like,
"It's over. We're headed
back to alaska tonight."
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Whoa!
What'd you think, dad?
What do you think?
♪♪
The tree can roll off the roof.
Please be careful!
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Yeah.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Got movement!
Matt: dad, it's twisting.
-He needs help.
-I'm coming up.
♪♪
Marty: don't get in the way
of that log! It'll kick over!
Matt:
I'm not in the way of it.
You're straddling it!
Get on the other side of it!
Here is the log. Here's me.
If it goes from --
[bleep] damn, just grab that,
Throw that into the log,
and pull it back!
[ Chuckles ] okay.
Damn it!
-Whoa!
-Don't let go of it!
It's spinning on me.
Too bad.
Get it back on the roof!
Get it back on the roof!
Good man, good save.
-No!
-No!
That's the first time I've ever
hit a house in my life,
So I apologize.
Hey, a tree is down.
All right.
Everyone's safe,
and there's not much damage.
We're good.
If you lost a little faith
in me, I don't blame you.
I lost a little faith
in myself, by the way.
Not me.
Cheyanne:
I was a bit nervous.
-Thanks, matt.
-Mission accomplished.
Do not film this!
Misty: [ laughs ]
-Today was very crazy.
-It was nuts.
A tree dropped on our house.
[ Laughs ]
Misty: I think, my dad, he likes
to live on the wild side.
It's so chaotic. It's so crazy.
He just wants excitement
in his life.
It's like the alaskan,
you know, bungee jump.
Why can't we just be normal
and, like, have a normal life?
Why does it always
got to be so edgy?
Because normal...
Is boring.
That is why.
♪♪
Narrator: four days in,
And with over
The homestead has gained another
$1,000 in tradable lumber.
The raneys are beginning
to make progress,
But there's still a huge amount
to do before they leave.
Got to keep on working.
Don't slow me down, camera guy.
Narrator: misty and cheyenne
are racing to waterproof
The guineafowl fort
by upcycling old car tires.
So give me, like, a good inch
overhang, screw down, perfect.
Sweet.
Narrator: but marty is way
behind schedule,
As he finally starts
digging the foundations
For his storm shelter.
Okay, spinning around.
Be careful, everyone!
Whoo-hoo.
We're past the halfway point
on this homestead rescue.
There's 44,000 pounds
of concrete
On the edge of the driveway,
Namely two concrete culverts
That need to be moved
to their resting place,
And not until we get them there
does this homestead become safe.
♪♪
Narrator: the raneys do have
one victory to celebrate.
Matt's solar build is complete.
I kind of took this whole
project on because cheyanne
Hasn't felt safe
while in this homestead
In the last four months.
When I look at these
solar panels,
I really do see a power
Equals-protection solution.
Narrator:
when the raneys arrived,
Rotting, unrefrigerated food
was attracting predators.
Matt:
I know that a bear will get
In here and just maul you guys,
and eat you.
Narrator: and with no power to
run radios or cellphones,
They had no tornado warnings.
Now they have a solar system
built from traded lumber
And anchored 3 feet
deep into the ground
Against tornado-force winds.
A $50 fridge secures their food,
And communication
equipment is on its way.
We want to get a radio.
Yeah. We want to get
a small radio.
Just in case, like,
there's an emergency alert,
We could hear the updates.
Yeah. You're plugged in,
and you can hear the news.
You can hear it coming.
It was a nightmare having to
live here without power,
But it's a little bit easier
every single day,
Being safe from bears.
Narrator: across the homestead,
the sawmill have come to collect
The lumber in exchange for cash.
Every log must be cleared
and stacked from the hillside,
A backbreaking job
for injured veteran, richard.
My shoulders and my feet
are hurting,
But I've got to get this done.
I've got to get it done.
That stack right there,
let's just stick them
Right in here alongside this,
right here, please.
And then that stack
right there down here,
Can you handle it by yourself?
Some of the larger ones
I might need a hand with,
But the smaller ones,
definitely.
[ Exhales,
breathing heavily ]
How you doing? You okay?
Ah, it's a bit of hard work.
Well, these oak trees
are heavy.
Yeah, they are.
Are you okay, physically?
Let me drop this one.
-Okay.
-What?
Richard, he served in iraq.
He's survived getting
blown up by an ied.
He's constantly living in pain,
and he really needs help.
I mean, it's such
a massive undertaking,
And we need some
real help out here.
It's really come to the point
where, you know, we might fail.
Narrator: but richard
isn't the only vital worker
Who's struggling.
Over at misty's
guineafowl fort,
Cheyanne is sidelined, too.
-I have a tick bite.
-You do?
I do,
and it's a pretty bad one.
Can you show me?
How do you feel?
Are you feeling okay?
It itches really badly.
Is it hot to the touch?
A little, it's warm, yeah.
-Yeah?
-Yeah.
Yeah. Okay. So it's clear that
you have an infection.
Whether or not it's lyme
disease, I don't know.
I'm not a doctor, but you look
for the red rash.
You look for the bull's-eye.
Narrator: lyme disease is
a dangerous condition
Caught from tick bites.
Left untreated, it causes
fatigue, joint pain,
And in rare cases, it kills.
I want to take this
very seriously.
Your health, your safety
is really important.
-Let's go to the clinic.
-Okay.
-I'll drive.
-Okay.
Narrator: misty and cheyenne
set off on the two-hour trip
To the nearest doctor,
Leaving a skeleton crew of three
And a homestead rescue
That is way behind schedule.
All right. Here's the first
order of business, dad.
This is a ton of work.
-We don't have enough people.
-I don't live in missouri.
You tell me where I'm gonna
get helpers, okay?
I'm not gonna
tell you anything.
-Richard.
-I've got a lot of family.
We could probably get a couple
of my brothers out here.
How far away are they?
Ah, one of my brothers
in north dakota.
We have --
I've got family all over,
So all we have to do
is make a few phone calls.
Get your brothers here, man.
I'll go call them up.
We need more hands on deck.
I'm thinking,
"hey, my brothers."
Who else am I gonna call, right?
"Ghostbusters"? [ Laughs ]
[ Exhales ]
Let's cut to the chase,
no brothers,
No homestead rescue.
[ Horn honks ]
-narrator: still to come.
Hey, marty.
These are my brothers!
You work like a dog,
and I'll be happy.
Narrator: the raneys have less
than four days
To complete their most
ambitious project yet.
Matt: dad, it is stressed.
It's not out of the storm yet.
I'm scared there
might be a tornado.
Narrator: and marty radically
updates the build plan
To save the rudolphs.
We're cutting that section
right off of your house,
And we'll move it right to here.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Whoo!
♪♪
Narrator: deep in missouri's
notorious tornado alley,
The raneys are four days into
Their most ambitious
project yet.
Saving a terrified
couple threatened
By a tick infestation,
ravenous bears...
Those are huge claw marks.
Narrator:
...and massive storms.
I'm worried for our safety.
[ Sniffles ]
That's good.
Is that what you want me
to do, though?
Narrator: but marty's plan to
save them is up against it.
-Yes, it is.
-No!
No!
Narrator:
and the biggest job of all,
Burying two 10-ton culverts
To make a storm shelter,
hasn't even begun.
Dad, we don't have
enough people.
Probably get a couple
of my brothers out here.
Get your brothers here, man.
Let's cut to the chase.
No brothers,
No homestead rescue.
♪♪
Narrator:
misty and cheyenne are back
From their four-hour round trip
To the nearest medical clinic
With cheyanne's
tick bite test results.
I was really worried because
I thought it was gonna be
Lyme disease,
but it's just an infection,
And I'm I really glad
that mine wasn't,
And I'm really happy that
misty had me go.
Narrator:
misty thinks she's discovered
The source of the infection.
Misty:
I'm gonna talk to my dad.
Narrator: it's yet another
problem on the homestead.
The doctor told me that
an infected tick bite
On her arm,
it's not lyme disease,
And it has a lot to do
with just hygiene.
Oh, my gosh.
They're using one of these
tanks for shower water.
There's bugs floating
in there right now.
-That's really gross.
-Yeah.
It looks like vomit.
No homesteader
can really survive
On this homestead this way.
-No.
It ain't gonna happen,
but we don't have time
For any more projects.
-Let's do this.
-Don't touch me.
Where's that hand?
[ Laughing ]
I will push your face
in the hole.
Oh, my gosh. It's gross.
I mean, adding any more
to the list pains me,
But you're right.
This has to be fixed.
The amount of work to do,
Its hard to wrap
your head around it,
But man, those water tanks,
You know,
that's something else.
Narrator: so far, only matt's
solar panels that provide power
To the homestead are complete.
The guineafowl needed
to eradicate ticks
And provide food can't arrive
until the fortress is fenced.
A 15x12 foot pit needs to be
dug to hold the massive culverts
That must be moved,
Buried, and sealed
into the earth bank.
And now there's another
essential item
On the growing list,
A supply of clean water
for the homestead.
♪♪
-Hey, marty!
-Yep.
These are my brothers!
Narrator: the next morning,
With just three days left to
complete the build,
The calvary arrives.
-Whoo!
-How's it going?
-My name's matthew.
-What?
-Matthew.
-Matthew, I like that name.
-Travis.
-Travis?
I named him. I named him.
What's that mean?
Oh, I named him after
the neighbors' dog.
-Neighbors' dog.
-[ Laughs ]
You work like a dog and live up
to your name, I'll be happy.
Which one of you guys
is the harder worker?
We've got three brothers
standing right here.
-Who's the hardest worker?
-I am.
Well, you're gonna
find out today.
That's the best answer ever.
You're about to find out.
That's what it is.
[ Laughs ] I love it.
You guys are saying,
"it's me. "It's me."
This guy's saying,
"stand back and watch."
Look at me.
Look at your brother.
You guys need to be looking
like this in about 15 minutes.
My hair
doesn't grow that fast.
Richard's two brothers
showed up today,
And I took a huge
sigh of relief.
Everything is behind schedule.
There's a lot of work
to be done here.
Narrator: the first job for
marty's band of brothers,
Spreading $300 worth of gravel
For the storm
shelter's foundation.
-Is that gravel for us?
-You know it!
Get it in there!
Narrator: but first,
they will have to get
The 30,000-pound load
up a muddy hill.
Matt: here it comes!
Narrator: a tough job, even for
old-school trucker
Curtis baldridge.
Curtis: we're not gonna get it
all the way up here.
What if we hook onto you
with that excavator
And we try to pull you?
[ Engine stops ]
I don't know if there's a good
place to hook onto this beast.
You're not totally
against the idea.
Well I'm not totally
against the idea,
But I don't know
if there's a good spot.
Slippery when wet.
I don't know if we really have
a good place to chain this,
But they tell me you're
an old logger from way back.
That'll work right there.
This is the only truck
I got, marty.
-Okay.
-I don't want to tear it up.
Hold on right there.
Freaking thing
is bent like a...
That's character, marty.
That's not damage.
That's character.
Well, we might be
giving your truck
A little more character
before this is over with.
Matt, we're gonna
give her some character.
-Yeah, baby.
-Okay.
Are you ready for this?
I'm gonna be helping you.
-I'm gonna be helping you.
-Right.
Well, we'll do
this together, then.
-[ Laughs ]
-let's go!
Narrator: heavy bearing chains
connect to the excavator
To pull 60,000 pounds
of truck and gravel.
Marty: let's go!
[ Crane beeping ]
All right.
It's heavy.
Watch out, guys.
Hold up!
Hold it, you've got a tree.
Stop!
This thing is like an oil slick.
He's just sliding sideways,
and now he's on this tree.
He's gonna destroy his truck,
So we're gonna
cut into these trees.
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Matt, get on that log with him!
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Narrator: marty double-wraps
the chains for extra strength.
[ Whistles ]
♪♪
It's good. It's moving.
♪♪
-Got it.
-Stop! Stop! Stop!
Stopping!
Okay. That's good!
Let her rip!
♪♪
That's a lot of gravel.
I'm glad to see that,
because that means that...
You're not gonna get
stuck in your driveway?
No. That means that we'll have
proper drainage, like,
Underneath our storm shelter.
Hey, matt.
Tell him to go for it.
-Don't stop!
-All right.
You're good!
Is he okay?
That guy's a pro.
First thing we'll do,
right here, look, is lay down
About 6 inches of that
all over this whole area.
It'll be at a slight grade,
So that when the moisture
comes out of the bank
Or the mountain or the rains or
the top, whatever it comes from,
It'll actually get to this layer
underneath the storm shelter,
And the water
will drain out here
Instead of flood
the floor of it.
At least,
that's the theory.
Narrator: it's essential
the gravel is spread evenly
By hand.
Matt, look at that.
Everybody's leaning on
a shovel.
What do we do at our job sites?
If there's nothing to do, you
might as well do jumping jacks,
Push-ups, you know what I mean,
calisthenics, some yoga.
Let me see some downward dog!
But we got to keep moving.
Let's go!
Let's move this stuff.
Let's go!
Okay.
-Oh, right up here.
-Sweet.
Our building's gonna shift.
This really acts as a foundation
as much as it does a runoff
For water.
Watch your shovel
with my face, buddy.
Whoo!
I love having my brothers here.
This is freaking awesome.
We haven't worked
together in years.
Give me five minutes of
getting the contaminants
Out of that rock.
His two brothers are amazing.
They don't do a lot of talking.
They do a lot of working,
which is fine with me.
Thank you! Appreciate it.
Narrator: coming up,
marty reaches breaking point...
-What's that noise?
-That's the cable.
It is stressed.
I'll tell you what's stressed.
We're not out of the storm yet.
Narrator:
...and so do the homesteaders.
Cheyanne: there's still a very
long way to go.
We are still not safe
from tornadoes right now.
Narrator:
the raneys arrived in missouri
In the aftermath
of a tornado disaster
To save a couple who live
in fear for their lives.
Can we please get inside?
Marty, careful!
Narrator: now, three days remain
for the raneys to complete
Their most ambitious
project ever,
And despite the arrival
of richard's two brothers,
Marty's storm shelter build
is still way behind schedule.
There's a lot of work
to be done here.
Narrator: but at least misty is
close to completing
Cheyanne's guineafowl fort.
Okay. How does it look?
Pretty good so far.
Narrator: and it's time for
the tick-eating,
Predator-warning
residents to move in.
This is the first livestock
you've ever had, right?
Yeah.
The most ferocious bird
you can have.
[ Squawking ]
Narrator: five days ago,
the rudolphs relied
Solely on store-bought food,
And the homestead
had no protection
From predators
or disease-carrying ticks.
Now, with a fortress
built for just $100,
The guineas can run free by day
to eradicate ticks
And be safe at night to act
as a predator alarm system.
All in one, we have food on
the homestead
For the first time.
You have a vicious tick
pest control creature
That's gonna wipe out
your insect population.
You're gonna notice
a difference.
Good, I need that.
This is a big step.
The best thing about guineafowl
Is they're gonna eat
my ticks away, hopefully.
Hopefully they won't
miss any of them.
That and they're gonna be
an amazing alarm system,
So I won't have
to worry about bears
Or predators nearly as much.
I'm gonna have
a forewarning from them.
Narrator:
bears and ticks are in hand,
But the homestead's biggest
fear is far from solved.
Hey. These are over 44,000
pounds of concrete, okay?
Lands on you, it's gonna
hurt, so pay attention.
These guys will show you
how to hook it up.
This one's going first.
Matt, you know what to do.
I'll get the excavator.
Hook it up.
Hook it up. Let's go.
Hook it up!
Moving 44,000 pounds
of concrete from point
A to point b is ominous.
The excavator can't even pick
one that far off the ground.
Narrator:
steel cables secure the drains
And hook onto the excavator arm.
Okay. Hey.
[ Whistles ] on top, let's go!
[ Crane beeping ]
Are we clear?
-Yes!
-Clear!
-Watch out, coming back.
-How's it look, matt?
Good! Look at that.
That's 22,000 pounds
swinging, dragging.
Look at how heavy it is.
I don't even know if we can
make it up that hill.
One of those cables
is working overtime.
Dad, it is stressed.
I'll tell you what's stressed.
♪♪
-Hey, you got that tree!
-You're hitting this tree.
That way!
Hey, whoo-hoo?
I don't have time to chit-chat.
[ Creaking ]
-What's that noise?
-That's the cable.
I think it's gonna snap
because that whole thing
Could roll that way.
Narrator: marty swings
the 10-ton load into position,
But if he tilts it again,
He'll put more weight on
the already stressed cables.
Matt: I like how he makes
the face like he's actually
Moving it, like...
[ Groaning ]
-Don't tip it!
-I'm a professional.
Matt: oh, he's got it.
[ Crane beeping ]
Got one problem,
it's facing the wrong way.
Narrator:
the drains lock together
With grooves around the sides,
So this 22,000-pound load
must be turned 180 degrees.
You saw how hard it was
to get it to this point.
Now we have to spin the damn
thing, so I don't know.
I don't know.
Hey matt, you're gonna
drop a log in there.
We're gonna spin it
with a log.
Hold on.
We got a long log in there?
I can't even tell you.
You're gonna have
to watch this one.
I don't even know
how to explain this.
Hey buddy, let's go!
Come on. Get down.
Quit calling me "macgyver."
Macgyver went to alaska
and he disappeared,
Hasn't been heard from since.
Hook it back up, please!
-Everybody clear!
-Okay. Okay.
Narrator: with so little time,
marty has to think fast.
His plan -- wedge a huge oak log
in the drain
And attempt to pivot the 10 tons
of concrete 180 degrees
Without breaking it.
This is classic my dad.
I think it's pretty
genius, really.
[ Crane beeping ]
Hand signals and yell at me.
Keep going.
Keep going, whoa!
Back.
Whoa!
He's got it good.
Get a level somebody, quick!
-Yeah.
-Perfect.
Right, the way he works
that excavator,
It's as if it's an extension
of his arm, you know?
It was freaking cool.
Narrator: now marty must move
the second drain
And lock it into the first.
Coming down the skosh!
Clear!
Narrator:
this time, marty's on a roll.
You're going up the hill.
Stand by there, sunshine.
Matt: dad, whoa!
I would not get in the way,
anybody.
Is it even all the way around?
-All the way it's good.
-It's the same. Yeah.
-It's even all the way?
-Yes, even.
Party's over. Unhook it.
Bottom line, it worked.
We got them of the truck.
We got them up the hill.
We got them at an angle,
And we've got them in place
here in about five minutes.
Get out of our way.
Whoa, man, when you put those
things together it gets big.
-That is huge.
-You won't believe it.
Misty,
you won't believe it.
They don't look like
they'd be that big together.
If there's not
a tornado tonight,
We'll pick up on trying to put
a front and back on this.
Until this thing's closed in,
this thing will move.
Cheyanne: oh, will it?
So we're not out
of the storm yet.
I mean, we can't
eliminate that threat.
-That's all I'm saying.
-Yeah. Well, carry on.
It's cool that we got it
to this point,
But man, we got a little
bit of extra work to do.
A lot, actually.
Our storm shelter
is not complete.
There's still a very
long way to go.
We're still not safe
from tornadoes right now.
Narrator: still to come...
Does the family worry
about these guys?
We're worried about
the situation
With tornadoes
and stuff like that.
He's out here with
nothing and no one.
Narrator: it's a race to finish
the shelter
As another storm shakes
cheyenne to the core.
[ Thunder crashes ]
I'm scared there
might be a tornado.
I can't live in my house.
I don't want to be living
in fear anymore.
Narrator: deep in missouri's
tornado alley,
Where lives were recently lost,
The raneys have just two days
To finish their biggest-ever
homestead rescue.
But I don't have the time,
And we're running out
of resources here.
Narrator: they've delivered
power and predator protection
To the rudolph's homestead
But are yet to supply it
with disease-free water.
Misty:
that's really gross.
Narrator:
and with cheyenne terrified
By the 100 mile per hour
Winds sweeping missouri,
The pressure is on
to finish the storm shelter.
♪♪
All right.
Guys, what do you think about
putting the front on this?
Narrator:
marty and richard's brothers
Start on the shelter's
wood framing.
Okay, this gonna be here.
Watch your toes.
Get the ends together, please.
Should be 112.
What's half of 112, 56?
-56 Sounds right.
-You good at math?
Just know one thing.
There's three kinds of people,
Those that can count
and those that can't.
Does the family worry
about these guys?
Well, everyone always
worries about them.
-They do?
-Oh, yeah.
Why do they worry?
We worry about the situation
with how, you know,
It's tornadoes
and stuff like that.
Now I do feel safe leaving
my brother with a shelter
Once this is built,
that we're gonna leave here
Knowing that
he's going to be safe
And he has somewhere to go
in case a tornado happens.
[ Drill whirring ]
A lot of times, I'd rather him
tell us that,
"Hey, I'm kind of scared
right now.
There's a tornado
coming through."
It's, you know, kind of cool
that he wants to still be
Mr. Big brother,
But it'd be nice if he'd let us
in a little bit.
One, two, three,
There we go.
Voilàà!
Narrator: before matt leaves,
he wants to ensure
Richard is getting the most out
of local food resources.
Richard, you know, I know
he's been working a lot,
And I know he struggles with,
You know, chronic pain
in his shoulders and his back,
But we're gonna
try and scrape
And eke out whatever
protein source
That we can from these rivers.
There's a lot of promising
stuff out here, man.
[ Whispers ]
oh, do you see those fish?
So, if you cast to the right,
Close to that log,
they're all right there.
Narrator: the fishing trip takes
richard away from the homestead
And his fearful wife
for the first time.
I mean, do you guys
ever spend time apart?
Has she ever been on
that homestead by herself?
No, like, for the most part,
when we go somewhere,
We tend to go together,
like, almost always,
But she has my brothers
there right now,
So everything
should be okay.
Everything should be okay,
like you're worried about her.
I'm always worried about her.
Cheyanne tends to get
nervous and scared
And then freak out a bit.
Got one.
Nice, sweet.
It's not the biggest fish
in the world, but guess what?
They're good eating.
Oh, yeah, and that's big
for one of these.
Look at that. That's beautiful.
Look at it.
-Look at that color.
-That is awesome.
That looks good to me, man.
Its funny, coming from alaska,
catching the massive salmon
And then being so excited
to just catch this,
-Yeah. [ Laughs ]
-but I am, man.
Dude, some beans and rice,
throw it in a pot.
That's some protein.
I'm telling you.
Hey, hey, that's
a little bigger, huh?
Narrator:
nine bluegills will be enough
To feed the rudolphs tonight.
Back on the homestead,
marty is full speed ahead
On the storm shelter.
Okay, tell me what to do.
Right there, yep.
Narrator: but with 18,000 pounds
of dirt to move,
It's nowhere near ready.
A big storm could sweep in here
in a matter of minutes.
It goes from blue sky
to black clouds to hail, rain,
High winds, a crazy storm,
flash flooding
And, very possibly, tornadoes.
Narrator: as the sun sets,
Marty's
worst fears are realized.
This storm is really picking up.
It's super scary.
It's lightning. It's scary.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Super-close sounding,
And I'm scared
there might be a tornado.
[ Thunder crashes ]
♪♪
Narrator: the following morning,
a shaken cheyanne joins misty
At the guineafowl fort.
-How was your night last night?
-It sucked.
I'm still scared every day
we have one.
Yeah.
It's not something
you can get used to.
It's not something you should
have to get used to.
I want to make this work
really bad,
But i...
I don't want to feel like
I can't live in my house.
And at the moment,
I don't feel like that.
Narrator: misty calls
an emergency meeting.
There are only 48 hours
left to save this homestead.
After all the work we've done,
Cheyanne still feels afraid
to live here, on this homestead.
You've got to be kidding me.
I just stacked 44,000
pounds of concrete.
If you don't feel safe in that,
I can't improve on that.
Have you spent a lot
of time in the cabin?
It is flimsy.
The tornado doesn't even
have to directly hit it.
That house, you know, those
walls, they're gonna go down,
And I think that storm shelter
is just too far away.
We haven't fully succeeded
by building it.
Let's just say it here and now,
I see cheyanne as dorothy.
You look a lot
like the scarecrow.
You're obviously the lion.
And that leaves me as who?
-Who?
-The wicked witch of the west?
-Wrong.
-No, the man behind the curtain?
-Exactly!
-[ Laughs ]
Even though I thought you were
going to say tin man,
I am that man
behind the curtain.
He made all kinds of promises,
and then, in this case,
The homesteaders pulled
away the curtain,
And they were like,
"we're still not safe."
She just truly doesn't
feel safe in there.
She truly doesn't feel
safe in their home,
And at some point,
we have to address that,
Or we haven't truly
helped this family.
So just when I think
that I've solved
The tornado issue
of this homestead,
I find out from
misty that cheyanne
Still doesn't feel
safe here alone.
Back to the drawing board.
Narrator: a storm is brewing
for the raneys
As they take on their
greatest offgrid challenge.
Missouri homesteaders richard
and cheyanne live in fear.
It's scary. It's very scary.
Narrator: marty's racing
against the clock
To bury a concrete
storm shelter
Deep into their hillside.
-Okay, tell me what to do.
-Right there, yep.
Narrator: but the rudolphs sleep
in a fragile cabin,
And last night's storm
has pushed
Cheyanne's terror
through the roof.
It's super-close sounding,
And I'm scared there
might be a tornado.
[ Thunder crashes ]
♪♪
Marty: I've had to rethink this
whole storm shelter idea.
Hey, guys.
We're leaving here in 48 hours,
And we've heard you say that,
even since we've built it,
You didn't quite feel
comfortable here.
-Okay.
-Yeah, it's still scary.
All right.
Then here's the idea.
That section of your house
that goes that way,
I'm thinking about
taking a chain saw
And cutting that right
off of the main building.
♪♪
So we'll move that
section of your house,
And we'll move it right to here,
Under the idea that you
could actually live in this
And definitely sleep in this.
It's your call, okay?
So that you can sleep
at night this far away
From the best storm
shelter in missouri.
I'm not gonna push you.
Cheyanne:
if you don't want to, say it.
Honestly, I think it's too
much of a risk
If it does got
catastrophically wrong,
Which is high potential.
Then who knows how long
it takes to rebuild?
-Okay. Let's give you a moment.
-Yeah.
-Okay.
-And no pressure.
Put your hand there.
See, you always
get the last say.
-All right.
-Okay.
Dude, what do you want to do?
I don't know.
I'm looking at the risk.
But does that risk outweigh
what we could have if it works?
If we can take our bedroom
off and put it here,
I do think that it'd good.
I think it would help us.
What do you want to do?
We're the family that dropped
a tree on their house.
Now we're saying...
How do you know
I didn't plan that?
Who cares if you did
or didn't?
And now we're asking them
to chainsaw their house in half
And move it
to a new location.
Cheyanne: okay, so I think we've
come to a decision.
♪♪
Let's do it.
I've seen what they can do,
so, if they say they can do it,
I'm gonna trust them,
that simple.
You get what you want.
I trust them.
-You're both on board?
-Yeah, let's do it.
Please get everything
in that room
Moved into that section
of the house.
That's that first step.
That's the start.
-I'll get the excavator.
-Okay.
[ Crane beeping ]
Misty:
dad, what's the plan?
We're gonna go all the way
around that house like this.
What's this for?
This will go dead-center
over the top
And use it like
a spreader bar to pick it up.
Narrator: marty plans to slice
the rudolphs' bedroom
Off the main cabin.
He'll then wrap it in chains
and use a long tree
As a spreader bar.
In theory, this will
distribute the weight
Evenly and reduce
the risk of collapse.
The whole structure must then
survive the 100-foot drive
To its new home,
attached to the storm shelter.
All right. I think this is dumb,
but if it works, that's epic.
I mean, I'm getting emotion
because I'm scared.
If it's dumb and it works,
is it still dumb?
-I love it.
-Yes.
But we've had so much bad luck
here, we might get away with it.
We might luck out this time.
This is the hardest decision
I think I've ever had to make,
besides moving here.
Marty: this couple doesn't have
a lot of money.
In fact, probably the biggest
thing they own
Is this cabin here
in the woods of missouri.
I need a hammer, please.
Now I've told them
I'm gonna take
a chainsaw to it and move it
[ Saw whirring ]
Cheyanne: that ain't normal.
Misty: you don't move your house
like this?
You know, when you want
to move your house,
You don't cut it
in half with a chainsaw
And move it with an excavator?
What's wrong with you?
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Ah, son of a...
Misty: okay, the ceiling
is trying to collapse.
-Hold on.
-Is it?
We don't want it falling.
♪♪
I'd tell you a joke about a roof
but it'd be over your head.
Our biggest worry was the part
We're taking isn't
structurally sound,
And, when we go to move it,
its gonna collapse,
And that basically
almost happened.
So now we're sheering it up
with some 2x4s,
Putting in all these bracing
And trying to keep it
in one piece
So we can move it in one piece.
Narrator: the wooden bracing
strengthens the structure...
[ Chainsaw whirring ]
Narrator: ...allowing marty
one final attempt.
♪♪
Dad, you couldn't have
gotten any more perfecter.
Your cut is straight
as an arrow.
It's hard to see your lips
with that scarf on.
You gonna rob a bank
or move a house?
You're perfect.
♪♪
Throw this to misty because
I'm not gonna be able to.
Richard: watch out, misty.
If it's not braced properly,
The whole thing could
crumble down, all right?
This is a really bad idea,
and if it wasn't for the fact
That it's what my wife wants,
we wouldn't be doing it.
Check this out.
Just wrapping this house
up in a neat little bow.
Gonna gift it to cheyanne
and richard...
-Slack.
-...all in one piece.
I'm hoping that this all works
And that I'm not gonna
lose my house completely
And that the first time
I have a final say
In what happens on this
homestead isn't in vain.
Narrator: coming up...
God, it's gonna be
a miracle if this works.
Moment of truth.
Narrator:
...the make-or-break cabin move
Enters its final, crucial phase.
Here we go!
♪♪
Narrator:
after seven days of stress...
-Whoa!
-You okay?
Narrator: ...danger trees,
massive moves,
And k*ller storms,
The future of
the rudolphs' homestead
Lies entirely in
the hands of marty raney...
Moment of truth.
Narrator:
...in an all-or-nothing move.
Taking a chain saw
and cutting that section
Right off of your house,
and we'll move it right to here.
Narrator:
success will erase the real
And present fear of tornadoes.
Failure will leave
the rudolphs homeless.
We need to move.
God, it's gonna be
a miracle if this works.
The whole entire weight
of this section of the house
Is gonna be on these chains,
Which are wrapped
around this log.
Worst-case scenario,
we just implode this whole thing
And smash it together
like a crushed can.
-Here we go.
-See movement.
♪♪
It's dangling, right now,
from the tractor.
I'm actually impressed that
it's off the ground like that
And it hasn't crumbled yet.
Matt: if it really starts
swinging around,
This whole thing
could still crush.
What's behind me?
Matt: it's clear. Go slow!
All right.
How far back?
I would turn.
-Would you?
-Right now!
Would you and smash
into this porch?
No, just the tracks,
just start turning the tracks.
Narrator: the homestead is
an obstacle course
For marty to complete.
One sudden jolt and the internal
bracing will give way,
Collapsing the bedroom
into firewood.
Richard:
this is a really bad idea.
I've seen how this
was constructed,
And, frankly, the whole
thing could crumble down.
Hold up! Hold, hold, hold up!
Hold on!
-Marty!
-Stop!
-Why?
-He's not gonna make this.
-He needs to go up.
-He's not gonna make it.
No, he'll make it.
Just lift it up, dad.
Oh!
Cheyanne: this is scary.
There you go.
Right there, right there.
Good, keep coming.
Matt, am I going
to hit that tree?
Richard: did he clear that stump
on that side, matt?
-[ Whistles ] the log!
-Go real slow.
♪♪
-That's scary.
-I got it. I got to spin it.
Misty:
hey, dad, you got 10 feet.
You got to pivot.
Hey, we're swinging.
♪♪
We're doing it.
Just keep on coming.
There's no more lift.
You don't need it.
I'm at a weird angle.
I got to come in straight in,
or I don't have it.
Narrator: marty's last major
hurdle is to land the cabin
On the foundation
without it collapsing.
♪♪
Matt: all right, guys.
We got to push this.
Pay attention!
All right. Keep going.
Please tell me the reveal.
-I have a foot.
-I have about 3 inches.
Coming down!
It's gonna be perfect.
Here it comes!
♪♪
Look at that!
[ Whistles ] how's it look?
It's in there.
You miraculously have it
perfectly in line
With the storm shelter
on this wall.
Cut those chains lose!
Unchain my heart!
Cheyanne:
it is in place, finally.
I'm happy about that.
That is actually
really impressive.
I did not think that
that place would hold up.
That's awesome, dad.
Day one, marty was telling me
how un-structurally sound
That would place is,
And then he's like, "hey,
But I want to cut it up
and move it." [ Laughs ]
And, miraculously,
they pulled it off.
Good job, dad.
That's some good driving.
No, no, good job everybody.
Look in there.
Can you guys look in there?
Hows it look?
In there the whole time...
[ Speaks indistinctly ]
That's awesome!
This is the the safest bedroom,
living quarters in missouri.
You agree? Yes or no?
-Yes, I do. Yes, I do.
-Okay.
I'm glad that it all worked out
and that we have somewhere,
Like, 10 times better
to live that's a lot safer.
It's a lot better.
It's just overall amazing.
♪♪
Narrator: the next morning,
The rudolphs' extended
storm shelter is complete.
You can't get --
I can't get you
any closer to safety.
It's in one turn of a doorknob,
and in here...
You guys, come on in.
In here, you guys are really
set up to be safe in a tornado
Or a storm or a flood.
You're in a really
good place right now.
-You agree?
-Yeah.
-Oh, yeah.
-Thank you so much, bro.
I mean, seriously,
thank you.
I don't think that I have ever
been this hopeful and excited
To actually be living
on this piece of property.
You guys have given me more than
I could ever expect,
And that's just flat out
peace of mind and safety.
Thank you.
And her saying that right
there was your gift to me.
That means a lot to me.
I'm really excited that me
and richard are gonna be safe.
It's not gonna be, "are you
terrified?" Every single day.
Everything's just gonna be fine.
You don't have to worry about
what's gonna attack you
Because nothing can anymore.
Narrator:
when the raneys arrived,
They were met by
a terrified couple
Surrounded by danger trees.
That structure will not
survive a tornado.
It'll k*ll you.
Timber!
Narrator: marty took charge of
felling 80 oaks,
Trading the lumber to fund
all further projects,
And now this cleared land will
absorb light for growing crops.
When you walk into a virgin
missouri oak forest,
You better be prepared
for some hard work.
Narrator: a week ago,
the rudolphs were cut off
From the outside world
with no power
And bears tearing
at their kitchen,
Desperate for rotting food.
I know that a bear will get
in here and eat you.
Narrator: now, matt's solar
panel system provides up
To 10 kilowatt-hours
of energy per day,
Powering devices
for tornado warnings
And a refrigerator
to store food.
We did everything we could,
And this homestead
is totally set up.
All they got to do is just work,
work, work, hopefully together,
And they're definitely
gonna make it.
Narrator: richard and cheyanne
were homesteaders
Without livestock,
And their land was infested
with disease-carrying ticks.
Cheyanne: I have a tick bite.
It itches really badly.
Narrator:
but misty's guineafowl fort
Puts a protein source
on their doorstep,
And these special birds
eradicate ticks.
We travel all across america
Doing all of these builds
on these homesteads,
But with this homestead,
to see that transformation
And to witness it firsthand,
it was amazing.
Narrator:
the week began with the rudolphs
Living in a weak
and flimsy cabin
Petrified the next storm
would wipe them out,
But now they have
marty's shelter
Made from two
concrete storm drains
Buried in the hillside
with a bedroom
And a cellar for emergency food,
Giving richard and cheyanne
And most importantly,
peace of mind in a tornado.
A lot happened
on this homestead
Under the banner
of just plain hard work,
But it's worth it when you
see someone like cheyanne,
Who goes from not
even wanting to be here
To embracing the future.
Narrator: marty has one more
surprise up his sleeve.
This is a brand-new tank,
and I personally went
And got this water out
of a well on a farm.
-Awesome!
-Thank you.
So check this out.
Narrator: marty's built
a gravity-fed water tank
That leads to
an outdoor bathtub.
So what we did is build you
a rocket stove bathtub.
All this is is 8-inch pipe.
It goes under and kisses
the bottom of that tub.
Okay.
So if you build a fire here,
the smoke gets sucked up
There because
that chimney's higher.
It will take all of that heat
in this single-wall pipe
And transfer it to
the bottom of this tub.
And you can adjust it
by sitting in here
And adjusting how
much wood you put here.
That is way cool!
I'm taking a bath.
I'm the first one in the bath.
I claim it.
♪♪
This homestead has been
nothing but work,
But we've brought them
to the threshold
Of successful homesteading.
The ball is in their court.
The raney's work is done.
You went from a lady with fear
in her eyes to a lady
Who can barely get
the smile off your face.
It's hard. [ Laughs ]
Sends a message to us
That we didn't
come here for nothing.
I absolutely love that
the raneys have been
Here to help us.
We've gotten so much done.
I had a five-year plan that has
literally been condensed
Down to today.
We got to go. See you later.
Thanks for everything.
I feel confident and happy
and excited
To actually live
on my own land.
Raney family helped me
not be sacred anymore
On my own piece of property,
And that's something
that I will always cherish
For the rest of my life.
-See you later!
-Bye!
♪♪
Cheyanne: everything the raneys
have done for us
Has changed our lives
for the better.
Good morning!
There is no tick
problem anymore.
The guineas eat them all.
Let's see if we got
any guinea eggs.
There's four!
We started a garden and it's
doing absolutely wonderful.
We've had so much food growing
That we've been giving it
away to the neighbors.
That's one big zucchini.
[ Laughs ]
I feel very safe
on this homestead
Since the raneys have left.
It's a great feeling knowing
That you're not gonna
disappear
Because of storms or a bear
Is gonna be coming
into where you live.
I don't think I've ever felt
as safe anywhere
In the whole entire world.
Thank you for giving my wife
That kind of
an attitude out here.
Thank you, raney family,
For everything that
you have done for us.
I truly appreciate it
and I always will.
Welcome to our World! Where we serve you cookies to ensure you get the best viewing experience on our site.
Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?
Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register
Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?
Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register
03x07 - Storm Shelter Showdown
Watch/Buy Amazon
City slickers get schooled by awesome hosts on their last chance to succeed off grid & survive off the land... among wildlife predators & natural disasters
City slickers get schooled by awesome hosts on their last chance to succeed off grid & survive off the land... among wildlife predators & natural disasters