Disaster Area
A podcast about disasters throughout history - what caused them, how people survived, and how we've responded to keep those disasters from happening again.
Episodes
Episode 266: The Club Cinq-Sept fire
It should have just been a regular Saturday night dancing to rock music and having a good time at the relatively new dance hall outside of Saint-Laurent, France. But in the early morning hours of November 1st, 1970, what was likely one dropped match or cigarette turned the Club Cinq-Sept into an oven. Videos: Pierre Montillo interview AP News clips of the fire Articles and books: The worst
Episode 265: The Cutter incident - part three
It would start with a headache, a fever, maybe a funny tummy. But soon enough your knee would give out, or your arm would hang limp, or you would struggle to breathe. You'd be taken to the hospital, where you'd get your diagnosis - polio. If you survived, you ran the risk of doing so with paralyzed limbs, struggling to walk on bulky leg braces. Your parents would be terrified they might lose you,
Episode 264: The Cutter incident - Part Two
It would start with a headache, a fever, maybe a funny tummy. But soon enough your knee would give out, or your arm would hang limp, or you would struggle to breathe. You'd be taken to the hospital, where you'd get your diagnosis - polio. If you survived, you ran the risk of doing so with paralyzed limbs, struggling to walk on bulky leg braces. Your parents would be terrified they might lose you,
RERELEASE: Episode 254: The Cutter incident - Part One
NOTE: This was released in May of 2025, but due to life being what it is, I didn't get to finish the final two parts of the episode. So I am rereleasing this episode this week, and the next two weeks I will release the following two episodes. I have now officially backed myself in a corner and I simply MUST finish the episodes now. It would start with a headache, a fever, maybe a funny tumm
Episode 263: Eastern Air Lines Flight 212
2001 was not the only year in which something tragic occurred on September 11th. On that day in 1974, eighty-two people would board a plane from Charleston, South Carolina, to Charlotte, North Carolina. Only ten would survive. Videos: 9/11/74: The Untold Story of Charlotte's Deadliest Plane Crash Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper's beautiful conversation about grief Talkative Pilots: Easter
Episode 262: The sinking of the White Ship
King Henry I of England had grand plans for the future of his sole legitimate male heir, William Aetheling. None of those plans would come to pass. Articles and books: The Sinking Of The White Ship 1120 The White Ship, by Charles Spencer The Impact of the White Ship Disaster of 1120 900 years since the White Ship disaster How one catastrophic shipwreck sank a medieval dynasty Divers f
Episode 261: The SS Sultana disaster - Part Two
On a cold April night in 1865, the calm across the waters of the Mississippi River was shattered by a sudden explosion - one which destroyed a steamboat and most of the Confederate POWs crowded on its decks. Videos: Remember the Sultana The History Channel: The Sultana Part-Time Explorer: America's Worst Shipwreck Articles and books: Sultana: Surviving the Civil War, Prison, and the Wors
Episode 260: The SS Sultana disaster - Part One
On a cold April night in 1865, the calm across the waters of the Mississippi River was shattered by a sudden explosion - one which destroyed a steamboat and most of the Confederate POWs crowded on its decks. Videos: Remember the Sultana The History Channel: The Sultana Part-Time Explorer: America's Worst Shipwreck Articles and books: Sultana: Surviving the Civil War, Prison, and the Wors
Happy birthday!/Plans for the New Year
It's the podcast's tenth birthday! Also, where we've been and where we're going.
Episode 259: The Big Bayou Canot rail disaster
In the early morning hours of September 22nd, 1993, a cross-country train departed from Mobile, Alabama, on its way to Miami. As it headed up along the train tracks out of the city, the train didn't know one important thing - that half of the bridge over the Big Bayou Canot wasn't there anymore. Videos: Seconds from Disaster: The Wreck of the Sunset Limited Forensic Files: Visibility Zero Ra
Episode 258: The Sutherland Springs church shooting - Part Three
On a sunny Sunday morning in 2017, a man in an SUV pulled up outside a small white church in Sutherland Springs, TX. The people inside would become the targets of the weapons he carried. But when he sped away about twenty minutes later, he would be the one escaping gunfire. Videos: Miracle on 4th Street Sutherland Springs shooter recorded his confession to severe beating of stepson Victims'
Episode 257: The Sutherland Springs church shooting - Part Two
On a sunny Sunday morning in 2017, a man in an SUV pulled up outside a small white church in Sutherland Springs, TX. The people inside would become the targets of the weapons he carried. But when he sped away about twenty minutes later, he would be the one escaping gunfire. Videos: Miracle on 4th Street Sutherland Springs shooter recorded his confession to severe beating of stepson Victims'
Episode 256: The Sutherland Springs church shooting - Part One
On a sunny Sunday morning in 2017, a man in an SUV pulled up outside a small white church in Sutherland Springs, TX. The people inside would become the targets of the weapons he carried. But when he sped away about twenty minutes later, he would be the one escaping gunfire. Videos: Miracle on 4th Street Sutherland Springs shooter recorded his confession to severe beating of stepson Victims'
Bonus: The 1987 Guadalupe River disaster
A week ago, the Guadalupe River in Texas overflowed its banks and swept away dozens of campers. It turns out that this is not the first time it's done so - and not the first time some of those campers didn't survive. Videos: "Rescue 911" segment on the tragedy Señor Onion's Archives: Guadalupe Flood of 1987 Sheriff recounts tragic Comfort, TX flood The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children?
Episode 255: The Borderline Bar and Grill shooting
(Podcaster's note: The second part of the Cutter incident episode is forthcoming; I'm just trying to get it juuuuuust right. :)) November 7th, 2018, was just supposed to be another fun night of drinking and line dancing at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, CA. But at 11:18 PM, all of that ended in an instant. Videos: TikTok: shannon_mcgee visiting the site 1.5 years later TikTok:
Episode 254: The Cutter incident - Part One
It would start with a headache, a fever, maybe a funny tummy. But soon enough your knee would give out, or your arm would hang limp, or you would struggle to breathe. You'd be taken to the hospital, where you'd get your diagnosis - polio. If you survived, you ran the risk of doing so with paralyzed limbs, struggling to walk on bulky leg braces. Your parents would be terrified they might lose you,
Episode 253: The 1692 Port Royal earthquake
In a bustling city of pirates and wickedness, one might think things couldn't get any more dangerous. But in the Jamaican city of Port Royal in 1692, that thought would be tested, and tested hard. Videos: History of Port Royal (Underwater Cities) Articles and books: Apocalypse 1692: Empire, Slavery, and the Great Port Royal Earthquake, by Ben Hughes Historic Earthquakes: Jamaica, 1692 June
Stoned History: Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571
To raise money for car repairs, Jennifer answers the question you've all been wondering - how well can she talk about a disaster while ... let's say "not sober." Please help Jennifer fix her car! It takes our esteemed cohost Professor on rides to go see cows and he therefore cannot live without it. Links below: GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/59bec8ad Paypal: disasterarea@mail.com Cashapp: $disasterar
Episode 252: The Charleston Sofa Super Store fire
It was almost the end of a typical Tuesday for workers at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, South Carolina, in June of 2007, and several of them went out to the loading dock to smoke and kill a little time. One stray cigarette butt thrown too near the trash, and within an hour and a half nine firefighters would be dead. Videos: Charleston Fire Department's recovery from deadly Sofa Super Store
Episode 251: The 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision
On a warm November evening in 1996, in the rural farmland not far from Delhi, the remains of two aircraft plummeted from the skies. The collision which caused them to fall is still the deadliest mid-air collision in history. Videos: Mayday/Air Crash Investigation episode on Charkhi Dadri collision Disaster Breakdown: The Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision Remains of Charkhi Dadri mid-air collis
Episode 250: Cats (2019)
Let us celebrate the 250th episode of the podcast by doing literally anything else but watching "Cats." Videos: Cats: The Musical Cats (2019) The Late Late Show with James Corden: Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts with Chrissy Teigen "Cats" commercial for the Broadway show Articles and books: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by T.S. Eliot What's a Jellicle, Anyway? Everything Yo
I'm alive! + The wildfires in Los Angeles
It turns out that I have not disappeared into a magical world to be romanced by a fae prince - more's the pity. Anyway, let's talk about the Los Angeles wildfire, misinformation, and knowing when you need to give yourself space so you can give others the help they need.
Episode 249: The sinking of the Sea Wing
It was a hot and muggy summer day as the steamboat Sea Wing carried passengers down the Mississippi River for what was to be a lovely excursion to the National Guard settlement near Lake City, MN. And it was ... until the storm hit. Videos: The Sea Wing Disaster So Minnesota: Haunted history of the Sea Wing disaster Sea Wing Disaster on KSMQ's "Off 90" (Sponsored by the Minnesota Legacy Amen
Episode 248: The Camp Fire - Part Two
For years, the hook holding up the power lines at transmission tower 27/222 in northern California had been wearing down bit by bit. On November 8th, 2018, the hook finally broke, and the resulting series of events led to the deadliest wildfire in California in a century. Videos: Netflix: Fire in Paradise Frontline: Fire in Paradise Camp Fire: One Year Later The Deadliest Fire in Californi
Episode 247: The Camp Fire - Part One
For years, the hook holding up the power lines at transmission tower 27/222 in northern California had been wearing down bit by bit. On November 8th, 2018, the hook finally broke, and the resulting series of events led to the deadliest wildfire in California in a century. Videos: Netflix: Fire in Paradise Frontline: Fire in Paradise Camp Fire: One Year Later The Deadliest Fire in Californi
Episode 246: The Heath High School shooting
Sometimes it feels as though Columbine was our first experience with school shootings. But it very much wasn't, as the town of West Paducah, Kentucky, can attest. Videos: Very Bad Men: Michael Carneal Articles and books: Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings, by Katherine S. Newman, Cybelle Fox, David J. Harding, Jal Metha, and Wendy Roth 1997 Kentucky school shooter denied parole
Episode 245: The sinking of the SS Atlantic - Part Two
In part two, we watch as the Atlantic continues to head toward the southern coast of Nova Scotia ... with dangerous consequences. Videos: The Terrifying Wreck of the SS ATLANTIC (Halifax, 1873 - 150th ANNIVERSARY) A Real-Time Animation of the Sinking A Visit to the SS Atlantic Heritage Park Interpretation Center, Nova Scotia Articles and books: Atlantic's Last Stop: Courage, Folly, and
Episode 244: The sinking of the SS Atlantic - Part One
It's been a rough week and a half on stormy seas as you and your family make the trip from Ireland to your new home in America in March of 1873. Now finally, the ship is making a stop in Halifax to refuel and you might all be able to rest. But there will be no rest for the passengers on the SS Atlantic. Videos: The Terrifying Wreck of the SS ATLANTIC (Halifax, 1873 - 150th ANNIVERSARY) A Real-
Episode 243: The Kiss nightclub fire
It was just supposed to be a fun college party with a great band at a popular Brazil nightclub. But once the pyrotechnics came out, Kiss turned into Hell in an instant. Videos: Inside Kiss nightclub, purportedly minutes before the fire started: temospoucotempo and vinnicius.massagnini Tiktok video from diariodesantamaria of the ceremony prior to the nightclub's demolition World Association of
Episode 242: The Itaewon Halloween crush - Part Two
It was the first Halloween that the streets would be open in Seoul, South Korea, since the start of the COVID pandemic, and young people in the city couldn't wait to go celebrate in the vibrant Itaewon neighborhood. Many of them wouldn't make it home. Videos: Paramount+: Crush [Video] Special police unit reveals CCTVs of Itaewon tragedy The results of 74-day probe into Itaewon tragedy Kieran
Episode 241: The Itaewon Halloween crush - Part One
It was the first Halloween that the streets would be open in Seoul, South Korea, since the start of the COVID pandemic, and young people in the city couldn't wait to go celebrate in the vibrant Itaewon neighborhood. Many of them wouldn't make it home. Videos: Paramount+: Crush [Video] Special police unit reveals CCTVs of Itaewon tragedy The results of 74-day probe into Itaewon tragedy Kieran
Episode 240: The Uvalde school shooting - Part Five
In the final part of this series, we learn about the perpetrator as well as the investigations which have followed in the past two years. Videos: Frontline: Inside the Uvalde Response Frontline: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief, and Texas Politics Cell phone video of the parents imploring the police to do something Disturbing new footage shows Salvador Ramos in Uvalde school, cops running | N
Episode 239: The Uvalde school shooting - Part Four
In part four of this five-part series, we watch as people realize just how flawed the police response at Robb Elementary really was. Videos: Frontline: Inside the Uvalde Response Frontline: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief, and Texas Politics Cell phone video of the parents imploring the police to do something Disturbing new footage shows Salvador Ramos in Uvalde school, cops running | New Yo
Episode 238: The Uvalde school shooting - Part Three
In part three of this five-part series, we see responding officers still preparing to approach classroom 111. Videos: Frontline: Inside the Uvalde Response Frontline: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief, and Texas Politics Cell phone video of the parents imploring the police to do something Disturbing new footage shows Salvador Ramos in Uvalde school, cops running | New York Post Ballistic Gel
Episode 237: The Uvalde school shooting - Part Two
In part two of this five-part series, we see local law enforcement in Uvalde arriving at Robb Elementary, and what happens next - and what does not. Videos: Frontline: Inside the Uvalde Response Frontline: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief, and Texas Politics Cell phone video of the parents imploring the police to do something Disturbing new footage shows Salvador Ramos in Uvalde school, cops runn
Episode 236: The Uvalde school shooting - Part One
In the first in this five-part series, we look at the town of Uvalde, and the first moments before a normal school day goes from calm to terrifying. Videos: Frontline: Inside the Uvalde Response Frontline: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief, and Texas Politics Cell phone video of the parents imploring the police to do something Disturbing new footage shows Salvador Ramos in Uvalde school, cops running
Episode 235: The Eschede train disaster
A year ago this week, I covered the Amagasaki train derailment in 2005 in Japan. Why not cover a second one seven years earlier near a small town in Germany? Videos: Seconds from Disaster: The Eschede derailment TS2018 Rail Disasters - Derailment at High Speed (1998 Eschede train disaster) What Went Wrong: Countdown to Catastrophe: The Eschede Disaster Articles and books: Page about the
Episode 234: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake - Part Three
It's early in the morning on a Tuesday when you're awakened by the shaking of your bed, of your entire home. You think for a moment it's the end of the world. You and your family make it out of your home, even though so many others do not. For a moment, you think you are safe. Then, you smell smoke. Videos: A Trip Down Market Street, San Francisco - April 14th, 1906 Disaster by the Bay: The Gr
Episode 233: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake - Part Two
It's early in the morning on a Tuesday when you're awakened by the shaking of your bed, of your entire home. You think for a moment it's the end of the world. You and your family make it out of your home, even though so many others do not. For a moment, you think you are safe. Then, you smell smoke. Videos: A Trip Down Market Street, San Francisco - April 14th, 1906 Disaster by the Bay: The Gr
Episode 232: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake - Part One
It's early in the morning on a Tuesday when you're awakened by the shaking of your bed, of your entire home. You think for a moment it's the end of the world. You and your family make it out of your home, even though so many others do not. For a moment, you think you are safe. Then, you smell smoke. Videos: A Trip Down Market Street, San Francisco - April 14th, 1906 Disaster by the Bay: The Gre
Episode 231: The Peshtigo fire
The deadliest fire in American history happened not in Chicago, but in a small Wisconsin town to the north of Chicago on the exact same day - October 8th, 1871. Videos: Watch now: The story of the tabernacle in the Peshtigo Fire Lake Michigan shipwreck; sank during 1871 Peshtigo Fire Articles and books: Firestorm at Peshtigo, by Denise Gess and William Lotz The Great Midwest Wildfires o
Episode 230: The sinking of the USS Thresher
On April 9th, 1963, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Thresher departed Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for depth tests in the Atlantic. It would never return. Videos: Second Saturday: The Loss of the USS Thresher Finding the Titanic | Bob Ballard: An Explorer's Life Articles and books: U.S. Naval Institute: What Killed the Thresher? Arlington National Cemetery: USS Thresher memorial Titanic
Episode 229: The Collinwood school fire
The deadliest school fire in American history took place on - of all days - Ash Wednesday, March 8th, 1908, in the Cleveland suburb of Collinwood just after first period ended. Within a half hour, 172 students and three adults would be dead, or close to it. Videos: Cleveland Public Library: Collinwood school fire Articles and books: The Collinwood Tragedy: The Story of the Worst School Fire i
Review: Society of the Snow
Jennifer stops rewatching the movie long enough to review the movie. Spoilers ahead!
Episode 228: Dan Air Flight 0034
You'd think if your plane crashed fifty meters from the end of the runway, you'd be saved. You'd be wrong. Videos: Disaster Breakdown: Locked into Disaster Articles and books: The Lever of Death: The crash of Dan-Air flight 0034 Department of Trade report on the accident
Bonus: Society of the Snow
Jennifer talks about "Society of the Snow," the award-nominated adaptation of the Pablo Vierci book about the survival story of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. "Society of the Snow" comes out in select theaters on December 22nd and on Netflix on January 4th. (No, Jennifer has not seen it yet. Although dear God, does she want to.)
Episode 227: The North Hollywood shootout - Part Two
On one February morning in 1997, a pair of men dressed in dark clothes entered a North Hollywood bank. What followed would be one of the most frightening things many Americans had ever watched live on TV up to that point. Videos: Zero Hour: The North Hollywood Shootout North Hollywood Bank Shootout_February 28, 1997 Articles and books: 20 years ago, gunbattle terrorized North Hollywood – and
Episode 226: The North Hollywood shootout - Part One
On one February morning in 1997, a pair of men dressed in dark clothes entered a North Hollywood bank. What followed would be one of the most frightening things many Americans had ever watched live on TV up to that point. Videos: Zero Hour: The North Hollywood Shootout North Hollywood Bank Shootout_February 28, 1997 Articles and books: 20 years ago, gunbattle terrorized North Hollywood –
Episode 225: The Who concert crush
It was just supposed to be a great night out seeing one of the best rock bands in the world. It turned out to be anything but. Videos: What Really Happened During The Who Concert Disaster? We Explain The Who: The Night that Changed Rock Articles and books: Crowd surge at a Who concert killed 11 people in 1979: 'It was so strong, it just tore us apart' The Who concert 40 years later: Surv
Episode 224: The 2019 Whakaari eruption
We all heard the news four years ago about a group of foolish tourists who made the mistake of visiting an active volcano and died as a result. Or at least, that's how the stories made them sound. Videos: The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (Netflix) Sky News Australia airs Krystal Browitt video of tour guide warning Trapped in the Volcano Articles and books: Eruption of Whakaari (Whit
Episode 223: Pan Am Flight 103 - Part Two
It's the first night of winter on a windy night in Scotland when a loud noise broke the quiet over a small village. What followed was a fiery nightmare caused by the cruel intentions of others. Videos: Air Crash Investigations: Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie Bombing: Smithsonian special on Paramount+ Articles and books: AAIB report on Pan Am Flight 103 Skygods, by Robert Gandt Colonel Gadd
Episode 222: Pan Am Flight 103 - Part One
It's the first night of winter on a windy night in Scotland when a loud noise broke the quiet over a small village. What followed was a fiery nightmare caused by the cruel intentions of others. Videos: Air Crash Investigations: Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie Bombing: Smithsonian special on Paramount+ Articles and videos: AAIB report on Pan Am Flight 103 Skygods, by Robert Gandt Colonel
Episode 221: The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquke and tsunami - Part 3
In the third part of our story, we look at the train disaster caused by the tsunami and the aftermath of the disaster. Videos: Compilation in chronological order of videos of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami The man who Filmed the Tsunami - Shocking footage of the Indonesian disaster Thunderbolt 1000 Siren Productions: Sri Lanka Train Disaster 18 Years Later The Wave That Shook th
Episode 220: The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - Part 2
First came the earthquake, then came the wave. Videos: Compilation in chronological order of videos of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami The man who Filmed the Tsunami - Shocking footage of the Indonesian disaster Thunderbolt 1000 Siren Productions: Sri Lanka Train Disaster 18 Years Later The Wave That Shook the World Tsunami: Caught on Camera Articles and books: One train, m
Episode 219: The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - Part 1
On December 26th, 2004, the world experienced one of the deadliest natural disasters we will ever see in our lifetimes. In part one, we will look at the earthquake which was just the start of a horrific tragedy. Videos: Compilation in chronological order of videos of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami The man who Filmed the Tsunami - Shocking footage of the Indonesian disaster Thunde
Episode 218: The Chilwell munitions factory explosion
On a hot summer day in 1918, the night shift workers at the National Shell Filling Factory No. 6 in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, England, arrived as per usual. One hundred and thirty-four of them would be dead within an hour and a half. Videos: Nottingham Forgotten Heroes #9 The Chilwell Munitions Workers The History Chap: The Chilwell Munitions Factory Explosion Articles and books: A Histor
Episode 217: The I35W bridge collapse
Rush hour is bad enough. The bridge you're on collapsing as you cross it during rush hour is even worse. Videos: I Survived ...: Virginia Tech and the I35W collapse 20/20 In An Instant: Rush Hour Disaster I-35W Bridge Collapse Structure and Components and Initial Failure 10 years later: Survivors reflect on the 35W bridge collapse Articles and books: NTSB: Design errors factor in 2007
Episode 216: The Club Q shooting
On the eve of the Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2022, a person armed with a rifle walked into Club Q, an LGBTQIA+ club in Colorado Springs, CO. What followed was a bloodbath. Videos: Video of Club Q shooting suspect previous threat WATCH: Club Q shooting survivor on how LGBTQ people are 'continually being dehumanized' Watch: Suspect accused of killing five people in the Club Q mass sh
Bonus: The OceanGate submersible implosion
While we are still close to the actual disaster for a regular episode on the subject, Jennifer takes an hour and a half to discuss the implosion of the OceanGate submersible on its dive down to the wreck of the Titanic.
Episode 215: The Rhoads Opera House fire
In a small Pennsylvania town, the play set to be performed on a cold Monday night in January drew hundreds of people to the Rhoads Opera House. One hundred and seventy of them would never make it home alive. Videos: The Rhoads Opera House Fire: Legacy Of A Tragedy Articles and books: Midwinter Mourning and A Town in Tragedy, by Mary Jane Schneider Trapped in the Third Act: The Rhoads Opera Hous
Episode 214: The Indiana State Fair stage collapse
When the sky darkened and the winds picked up at the Indiana State Fair on August 13th, 2011, those fans waiting for country band Sugarland to perform were worried the concert might be delayed. But there was something far more deadly for those in the audience to worry about. Videos: State Fair Tragedy: 10 Years Later Indianapolis stage collapse compiled raw footage w/ State Fire radio audio In
Bonus: The 9/11 Museum
Jennifer recounts her visit to the 9/11 Museum in New York City.
Episode 213: The Amagasaki train derailment
Every day we head off to work or school or wherever else we might be headed with the hope we will arrive there safely. But while we might feel like we can depend on ourselves to keep safe, sometimes our lives are in the hands of pilots, drivers, or engineers who are under extraordinary pressures we have no clue about until it's too late. Videos: Seconds From Disaster: Runaway Train (S 6, Ep 5)
Episode 212: The Grenfell Tower fire - part three
It was just a little house fire. It should have gone out in no time. In a safer building, it would have. But within an hour and a half of the first call to 999 that night, Grenfell Tower was fully ablaze. Videos: Grenfell: The Fire of London Grenfell: The Worst Tower Block Fire in London History Grenfell Tower tragedy in 3D 12 Firefighters have Terminal Cancer Since 2017 Rescue First Reports of
Episode 211: The Grenfell Tower fire - part two
It was just a little house fire. It should have gone out in no time. In a safer building, it would have. But within an hour and a half of the first call to 999 that night, Grenfell Tower was fully ablaze. Videos: Grenfell: The Fire of London Grenfell: The Worst Tower Block Fire in London History Grenfell Tower tragedy in 3D 12 Firefighters have Terminal Cancer Since 2017 Rescue First Reports of
Episode 210: The Grenfell Tower fire - part one
It was just a little house fire. It should have gone out in no time. In a safer building, it would have. But within an hour and a half of the first call to 999 that night, Grenfell Tower was fully ablaze. Videos: Grenfell: The Fire of London Grenfell: The Worst Tower Block Fire in London History Grenfell Tower tragedy in 3D 12 Firefighters have Terminal Cancer Since 2017 Rescue First Reports of
Episode 209: The sinking of the SS Princess Sophia
Have you ever been stranded in your car in the middle of a snowstorm? Now imagine there are 350 other people in the car with you, and you're all stuck in that storm in the middle of an Alaskan canal for nearly two days. People come to rescue you but can't get any closer. And with every passing hour, your car groans and threatens to sink. That was what happened to the SS Princess Sophia in 1918. Vi
Episode 208: The 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision
Ah, flying in the 1950s. Fancy clothes, good food, smoking in the airplane, and the chance to see sights you'd never get to see otherwise. Two planes flying over the Grand Canyon on a summer day in 1956 should have passed by perfectly fine, and probably would have on any other day. But tragedy would strike over one of the most beautiful places on Earth, changing the aviation industry in one horrif
Episode 207: The Humboldt Broncos bus crash
On April 6th, 2018, the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team from Saskatchewan, Canada, were on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin. They weren't expecting the semi-tractor trailer headed westbound on Highway 335 - right into their path. Videos: Humboldt: The New Season How the Humboldt bus crash happened Special coverage of the tragedy in Humboldt, Saskatchewan W5: Jaskirat Sidhu, the 'Hu
Episode 206: The Bazar de la Charité fire
The start of the summer season in Paris in the 1890s could arguably be the Bazar de la Charité, sort of a rummage sale for the wealthy to benefit the poor. The height of Parisian's female society passed through its doors each year, and May 4th, 1897, was no different. But the presence of the bazaar's biggest novelty - a cinematograph showing films by the Lumière brothers - also led to a gruesome t
Episode 205: The Boston Marathon bombing - Part Two
On April 15th, 2013, runners in Boston were approaching the finish line of the city's esteemed marathon at ten minutes to three in the afternoon when a large explosion tore through the crowd. Thirteen seconds later, a second one went off down the street. The manhunt for the men who committed the attack would last several days and take over the entire metropolitan area. Videos: The Days That Sha
Episode 204: The Boston Marathon bombing - Part One
On April 15th, 2013, runners in Boston were approaching the finish line of the city's esteemed marathon at ten minutes to three in the afternoon when a large explosion tore through the crowd. Thirteen seconds later, a second one went off down the street. The manhunt for the men who committed the attack would last several days and take over the entire metropolitan area. Videos: The Days That Sha
Episode 203: The Nepalese royal massacre
The family dinner party was in full swing, despite the host needing to be carried out in a drunken stupor only twenty minutes earlier. But this is no ordinary family. This is the royal palace of Nepal, and the host - Crown Prince Dipendra - is about to return, angry and armed. Videos: Zero Hour : The Nepalese Royal Massacre Why Nepal's Prince Organised A Royal Massacre | Asia's Monarchies | Real
Episode 202: The San Juanico disaster
The Mexico City suburb of San Juan Ixhuatepec was the home of poor immigrants, working-class families, dozens of large businesses, and a Pemex oil and gas company site - at least, until November 19th, 1984. Videos: Ciudadano Infraganti Explosiones de San Juanico 1984 Articles and books: San Juan Ixhuatepec remembers one of world's worst industrial disasters Three decades on, survivors of wors
Episode 201: The 1995 Chicago heat wave
For five days in July of 1995, the city of Chicago baked underneath record temperatures, and behind closed doors people suffered for days - the poor, the elderly, the disabled. By the time the heat wave was over, over 750 people were dead. Sources can be found at http://disasterareapodcast.wordpress.com/.
Episode 200: Trans American Flight 209
Surely this can't be the 200th episode! It is the 200th episode, and don't call me Shirley. Videos: "Airplane!" "Airplane II: The Sequel" Articles and books: Internet Movie Plane Database - Airplane! Bulls vs. Lakers Box Score: March 7th, 1980 Airplane! script Airplane II script
Episode 199: Apollo 1
There is always bound to be a first - the first person to climb Mount Everest, the first person to run a four-minute mile, the first woman to become president. But there are terrible firsts, and in this episode we discuss the first major tragedy of the American space race. Videos: Apollo 1 Audio - January 27th, 1967 Articles and books: The Astronaut Wives Club, by Lily Koppel Apollo 1
Episode 198: The Christchurch mosque shootings
A man armed with semi-automatic weapons and a livestreaming camera walks into a place full of people he hates and commits a mass murder. It shouldn't be something we see more than once. But now we have.
Bonus: Disaster Area road trip Part 2: The New Yorkening
In which Jennifer describes her visits to disaster sites in New York City last week, including the 9/11 Memorial, the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, and the 1920 Wall Street bombing.
Episode 197: Operation Yellow Ribbon
We all hope that in a moment of great need, we would do the right thing. When the airspace over the United States closed on September 11th, the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, did just that.
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