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Disaster Area

Jennifer Matarese

A podcast about disasters throughout history - what caused them, how people survived, and how we've responded to keep those disasters from happening again.

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22 episodes
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Wednesday · 59 min
Episode 268: Pacific Southwest Flight 182
It was a beautiful Monday morning in San Diego on September 25, 1978 - sunny and hot with not a cloud in the sky. There was no reason whatsoever to think the day would be ruined by anything, but especially not by two planes colliding over a horrified suburb. Videos: Air Crash Investigation: Blind Spot Allec Joshua Ibay: Blind Spot - 1978 San Diego Mid-Air Collision Articles and books: NTSB report on the collision between Flight 182 and the Cessna San Diego Magazine: This is It! Memorializing the 45th Anniversary of the Crash of PSA Flight 182 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum Memories That Will Never Go Away" The Crash of Flight 182 and Its Aftermath
August 19 · 1 hr 5 min
Episode 267: The sinking of the Doña Paz
When we think of deadly peacetime maritime disasters, Titanic is the first ship to come to mind. But there is a far deadlier disaster which holds the record for the worst in terms of loss of life ... when a loaded oil tanker and a packed ferry collided in the Philippines one moonless night just before Christmas in 1987. Videos: Asia's Titanic Articles and books: Doña Paz victims waiting for justice 25 years after Catbalogan folk cry foul over demolition of Doña Paz memorial The Philippines Off Mindoro, a Night to Remember It's Gloom And Glitter For Manila NYT: 1,500 ARE FEARED LOST AS 2 SHIPS COLLIDE AND SINK NEAR PHILIPPINES Caltex v. Sulpucio Paul Allen's research vessel surveys wreckage of 'Asia's Titanic' — 1987 ferry sinking killed 4,300 Alchetron: MV Dona Paz
August 7 · 7 min
The Mystery of the Missing Podcast Host
Or where have I been the past three months? (Alas, it's not as interesting as the title makes it sound.)
May 15 · 50 min
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 thing is the sound of silence": 50 years after the "5-7" tragedy, the memory and the grief remain intact. Youth to Burn: Guy Debord on the fire at Saint-Laurent-du-Pont Virtual Globetrotting: Diagram of the layout of the Club Cinq-Sept France: An Unusual Silence 1970: Nightclub inferno 'wipes out generation'
May 8 · 1 hr 7 min
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, and so everybody wanted the one thing that could stop all of this - a vaccine. Videos: New England Journal of Medicine: The Cutter Incident, 50 Years Later American Experience: The Polio Crusade The Iron Lung and Polio by M.Rockoff | OPENPediatrics Articles and books: Polio: An American Story, by David M. Oshinsky The Cutter Incident, by Dr. Paul Offit NEJM: The Cutter Incident
May 1 · 40 min
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, and so everybody wanted the one thing that could stop all of this - a vaccine. Videos: New England Journal of Medicine: The Cutter Incident, 50 Years Later American Experience: The Polio Crusade The Iron Lung and Polio by M.Rockoff | OPENPediatrics Articles and books: Polio: An American Story, by David M. Oshinsky The Cutter Incident, by Dr. Paul Offit NEJM: The Cutter Incident
February 27 · 1 hr 12 min
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 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, and so everybody wanted the one thing that could stop all of this - a vaccine. Videos: New England Journal of Medicine: The Cutter Incident, 50 Years Later American Experience: The Polio Crusade The Iron Lung and Polio by M.Rockoff | OPENPediatrics Articles and books: Polio: An American Story, by David M. Oshinsky The Cutter Incident, by Dr. Paul Offit NEJM: The Cutter Incident
February 21 · 58 min
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: Eastern Airlines Flight 212 Articles and books: A fiery plane crash on 9/11/74 changed Charleston forever. 50 years later, its scars linger. NTSB Crash Report for Eastern Airlines Flight 212 Charlotte's deadliest plane crash has finally been memorialized after 51 years
February 11 · 1 hr 22 min
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 find The Tragic White Ship
January 8 · 52 min
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 Worst Maritime Disaster in American History, by Alan Huffman Knoxville, TN: S.S. Sultana Memorial Appomattox Court House: The Surrender Meeting American Battlefield Trust: The Sultana Disaster The Sultana Disaster Museum Toledo Blade: The Sinking of the Sultana
January 1 · 38 min
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 Worst Maritime Disaster in American History, by Alan Huffman Knoxville, TN: S.S. Sultana Memorial Appomattox Court House: The Surrender Meeting American Battlefield Trust: The Sultana Disaster The Sultana Disaster Museum Toledo Blade: The Sinking of the Sultana
January 1 · 5 min
Happy birthday!/Plans for the New Year
It's the podcast's tenth birthday! Also, where we've been and where we're going.
Oct 31, 2025 · 54 min
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 Rail Disasters: Wreck of the Sunset Limited Articles and books: Barge Pilot Blamed in Fatal Amtrak Wreck No Criminal Liability Is Found in Amtrak Bayou Derailment Mobile Press-Register 200th Anniversary: Sunset Limited train wreck memories not diminished by passing years NTSB report on the accident
Oct 13, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
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' stories heard through videos of Sutherland Springs church services Articles and books: I'm Not a Hero': Man Who Shot and Chased Texas Church Gunman Shares His Story Secret Service case study focused on the Sutherland Springs shooting as an example of the link between domestic violence and mass attacks From the first deadly shot until the last — how the Texas church shooting unfolded Comal County authorities didn't charge Sutherland Springs gunman with rape, even though the victim described brutal attack Texas massacre survivors say gunman Devin Kelley became enraged by scared children during church shooting Exclusive: Guilt and grief overwhelm the mother-in-law of the Sutherland Springs gunman Texas church gunman lied about past to become a security guard, records show Site of deadliest church shooting in US history is torn down over protests by some Texas families Texas Church Shooting Video Shows Gunman's Methodical Attack, Official Says Conspiracy theorists harass Sutherland Springs churchgoers, pastor whose daughter was killed Washington Post: Investigative Timeline - Sutherland Springs Baptist Church Mass Casualty Event Secret Service: First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs - A Case Study Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks Air Force must pay more than $230M in church shooting
Oct 6, 2025 · 46 min
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' stories heard through videos of Sutherland Springs church services Articles and books: I'm Not a Hero': Man Who Shot and Chased Texas Church Gunman Shares His Story Secret Service case study focused on the Sutherland Springs shooting as an example of the link between domestic violence and mass attacks From the first deadly shot until the last — how the Texas church shooting unfolded Comal County authorities didn't charge Sutherland Springs gunman with rape, even though the victim described brutal attack Texas massacre survivors say gunman Devin Kelley became enraged by scared children during church shooting Exclusive: Guilt and grief overwhelm the mother-in-law of the Sutherland Springs gunman Texas church gunman lied about past to become a security guard, records show Site of deadliest church shooting in US history is torn down over protests by some Texas families Texas Church Shooting Video Shows Gunman's Methodical Attack, Official Says Conspiracy theorists harass Sutherland Springs churchgoers, pastor whose daughter was killed Washington Post: Investigative Timeline - Sutherland Springs Baptist Church Mass Casualty Event Secret Service: First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs - A Case Study Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks Air Force must pay more than $230M in church shooting
Sep 30, 2025 · 52 min
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' stories heard through videos of Sutherland Springs church services Articles and books: I'm Not a Hero': Man Who Shot and Chased Texas Church Gunman Shares His Story Secret Service case study focused on the Sutherland Springs shooting as an example of the link between domestic violence and mass attacks From the first deadly shot until the last — how the Texas church shooting unfolded Comal County authorities didn't charge Sutherland Springs gunman with rape, even though the victim described brutal attack Texas massacre survivors say gunman Devin Kelley became enraged by scared children during church shooting Exclusive: Guilt and grief overwhelm the mother-in-law of the Sutherland Springs gunman Texas church gunman lied about past to become a security guard, records show Site of deadliest church shooting in US history is torn down over protests by some Texas families Texas Church Shooting Video Shows Gunman's Methodical Attack, Official Says Conspiracy theorists harass Sutherland Springs churchgoers, pastor whose daughter was killed Washington Post: Investigative Timeline - Sutherland Springs Baptist Church Mass Casualty Event Secret Service: First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs - A Case Study Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks Air Force must pay more than $230M in church shooting
Jul 12, 2025 · 59 min
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? Articles and books: Toll At 8 In Texas Flooding 2 Young Campers Are Still Missing Almost 40 years ago, 10 children died in a Comfort flood that shook Texas
Jul 1, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
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: Official account of @borderlinebar RAW VIDEO: Thousand Oaks gunman seen shooting inside Borderline Bar & Grill | ABC7 Thousand Oaks shooting survivor: "My friend killed my other friends" Co-Owner Of Borderline Bar And Grill Accused Of Embezzling $43K Ventura County DA Releases New Video Of Borderline Bar Shooting Columbine Survivor Survives Virginia Tech Articles and books: Must Reads: Friends took this photo at their favorite bar in Thousand Oaks. Minutes later, the shooting started CHP officer's bullet killed sheriff's deputy who responded to Thousand Oaks bar shooting Authorities Describe 'Confusion And Chaos' At Borderline Bar Shooting In California What Thousand Oaks shooting suspect posted to social media during massacre Here Are the Victims of the Thousand Oaks Shooting First Responder Was Killed in Restaurant Mass Shooting at Same Place Where He Proposed to His Wife Borderline shooting hero Matt Wennerstrom honored at Thousand Oaks memorial after motorcycle crash The Americans who have lived through multiple mass shootings
May 31, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
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, and so everybody wanted the one thing that could stop all of this - a vaccine. Videos: New England Journal of Medicine: The Cutter Incident, 50 Years Later American Experience: The Polio Crusade The Iron Lung and Polio by M.Rockoff | OPENPediatrics Articles and books: Polio: An American Story, by David M. Oshinsky The Cutter Incident, by Dr. Paul Offit NEJM: The Cutter Incident
May 1, 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
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 07 UTC Jamaica Port Royal If you'd like to donate to the GFM for my car, you can find that here: https://gofund.me/a0585132

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