Shows
Disaster AreaStoned History: Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571To 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: $disasterareapod Venmo: @disasterareapodcast
2025-04-011h 18Disaster AreaEpisode 248: The Camp Fire - Part TwoFor 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 California History Drone fire of Camp Fire devastation in Butte County Trump confused over fire-hit town Paradise: 'Pleasure, what a name'
2024-11-071h 19Disaster AreaEpisode 247: The Camp Fire - Part OneFor 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 California History Drone fire of Camp Fire devastation in Butte County Trump confused over fire-hit town Paradise: 'Pleasure, what a name'
2024-11-011h 02Disaster AreaEpisode 246: The Heath High School shootingSometimes 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 COMMONWEALTH v. CARNEAL (2008) When Grief Wanted a Hero, Truth Didn't Get in the Way Carneal Recalls 1997 High School Shooting Rampage
2024-10-0758 minDisaster AreaEpisode 245: The sinking of the SS Atlantic - Part TwoIn 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 Lies in the White Star Line's Worst Disaster Before Titanic, by Bob Chaulk Descendants of 'heroic people' mark anniversary of SS Atlantic wreck Th...
2024-10-011h 12Disaster AreaEpisode 244: The sinking of the SS Atlantic - Part OneIt'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-Time Animation of the Sinking Articles and books: Atlantic's Last Stop: Courage, Folly...
2024-09-0743 minDisaster AreaEpisode 243: The Kiss nightclub fireIt 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 Disaster and Emergency Medicine video by Dr. Silvana Dal Ponte about the emergency response New video shows destroyed Brazil nightclub Brazil Nightclub Fire: Amateur footage shows firefighters battling the blaze ...
2024-09-011h 12Disaster AreaEpisode 242: The Itaewon Halloween crush - Part TwoIt 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 Porey: Itaewon Halloween 2022 video Seoul Halloween crowd crush, the stories of survivors | Undercover Korea Articles and books: 'Reminders everywhere': Halloween crush haunts...
2024-08-081h 17Disaster AreaEpisode 241: The Itaewon Halloween crush - Part OneIt 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 Porey: Itaewon Halloween 2022 video Seoul Halloween crowd crush, the stories of survivors | Undercover Korea Articles and books: 'Reminders everywhere': Halloween crush haunts...
2024-08-0156 min
Playing the Field: A Bachelor PodcastOne man drops a bomb on Jenn as he self-eliminates from 'The Bachelorette'"Playing the Field" is back with your host Ryan Field and "Bachelor" insiders Gina Sirico from KABC, and Jennifer Matarese from WABC. This week, Jenn and her remaining 15 men continued their romantic journey in Melbourne, Australia.This week starts different than most, with a one-on-one date! Spencer gets his chance to take things to new heights with Jenn aboard a helicopter ride along the coast. They have an amazing time, but is there enough of a spark to go the distance?Next up, the team breaks down Jenn's group...
2024-07-2335 minDisaster AreaEpisode 240: The Uvalde school shooting - Part FiveIn 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 | New York Post Ballistic Gel Human Head VS 223 Video: Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke clash over Uvalde deaths as governor provides more details...
2024-06-1755 minDisaster AreaEpisode 239: The Uvalde school shooting - Part FourIn 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 York Post Ballistic Gel Human Head VS 223 Video: Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke clash over Uvalde deaths as governor provides more details on school...
2024-06-1050 minDisaster AreaEpisode 238: The Uvalde school shooting - Part ThreeIn 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 Human Head VS 223 Video: Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke clash over Uvalde deaths as governor provides more details on school shooting Articles and books:
2024-06-0354 minDisaster AreaEpisode 237: The Uvalde school shooting - Part TwoIn 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 running | New York Post Ballistic Gel Human Head VS 223 Video: Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke clash over Uvalde deaths as governor provides...
2024-05-281h 05Disaster AreaEpisode 236: The Uvalde school shooting - Part OneIn 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 | New York Post Ballistic Gel Human Head VS 223 Video: Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke clash over Uvalde deaths as governor provides more details on school shooting ...
2024-05-2044 minDisaster AreaEpisode 235: The Eschede train disasterA 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 Eschede train disaster memorial Germany recalls the Eschede train disaster The Cost of Comfort: The 1998 Eschede Train Derailment
2024-05-011h 22Disaster AreaEpisode 234: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake - Part ThreeIt'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 Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Documentary
2024-04-141h 01Disaster AreaEpisode 233: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake - Part TwoIt'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 Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Documentary
2024-04-071h 01Disaster AreaEpisode 232: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake - Part OneIt'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 Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Documentary Footage of San Francisco's 1906...
2024-03-3147 minDisaster AreaEpisode 231: The Peshtigo fireThe 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 of 1871 Wisconsin Shipwrecks: The George L. Newman
2024-03-061h 14
Playing the Field: A Bachelor PodcastSpecial guest Jesse Palmer reacts to 'Bachelor' Joey's Hometown datesThis week on “Playing the Field” we recap the final four women’s hometown dates on “The Bachelor.”Joey travels to the hometowns of Kelsey, Rachel, Daisy, and Maria. Ryan Field, alongside, Jennifer Matarese and Gina Sirico break down each date, the women’s relationship with Joey, and how he fit in with their families.Then, a very special guest joins us, the host of “The Bachelor” Jesse Palmer! He talks about Joey’s mindset during hometowns, what led to Joey’s latest breakup, and what we can expect coming up as this season moves closer to the finale...
2024-03-0652 minDisaster AreaEpisode 230: The sinking of the USS ThresherOn 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 Discovery was By-Product of Military Quest The Death of the USS Thresher: The Story Behind History's Deadliest Submarine Disaster, by Norman Polmar Navy documents reveal officer flagged "dangerous condition" before deadliest...
2024-02-281h 32Playing the Field: A Bachelor Podcast‘Bachelor’ Joey opens up about his emotional journeyWelcome to “Playing the Field” a Bachelor podcast!Ryan Field of ABC7 Eyewitness News in New York hosts alongside “Bachelor” experts WABC’s Jennifer Matarese, and KABC’s Gina Sirico. This premiere episode features “The Bachelor” himself, Joey Graziadei!Joey reveals why his feelings bubbled over as he met the women in Montreal. He also talks about the difficult breakups and how he came to the decisions that he did so far this season. In the second half, Ryan, Jen, and Gina breakdown each of Joey’s dates from this past week’s episode in Montreal...
2024-02-2129 minDisaster AreaEpisode 229: The Collinwood school fireThe 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 in American History, by James Jessen Badal The neighborhood never forgets Collinwood school fire: 100 years later, an angel still kneels over the children REMEMBERING THE LAKEVIEW SCHOOL...
2024-01-311h 46Disaster AreaReview: Society of the SnowJennifer stops rewatching the movie long enough to review the movie. Spoilers ahead!
2024-01-111h 17Disaster AreaEpisode 228: Dan Air Flight 0034You'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
2024-01-011h 07Disaster AreaBonus: Society of the SnowJennifer 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.)
2023-12-191h 07Disaster AreaEpisode 227: The North Hollywood shootout - Part TwoOn 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 shocked America Chilling portrait of robber emerges Jury Unsure If Cops Let Shooter Die Police Kill 2 Bank Robbery Suspects in a Wild Gun Battle Children Offer to Drop Suit in Robber's Death 20 yea...
2023-12-081h 19Disaster AreaEpisode 226: The North Hollywood shootout - Part OneOn 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 shocked America Chilling portrait of robber emerges Jury Unsure If Cops Let Shooter Die Police Kill 2 Bank Robbery Suspects in a Wild Gun Battle Children Offer to Drop Sui...
2023-12-011h 07Disaster AreaEpisode 225: The Who concert crushIt 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: Survivors and victims' families relive tragic night in Cincinnati They Survived the Who Concert from 'Hell.' Now, They Finally Have...
2023-11-231h 26Disaster AreaEpisode 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 (White Island) kills ten people: September 10th, 1914 This is the family that owns the Whakaari volcanic Island The December 2019 hydrothermal...
2023-11-171h 43Disaster AreaEpisode 223: Pan Am Flight 103 - Part TwoIt'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 Gaddafi 'ordered Lockerbie bombing' Anger at Lockerbie bomber welcome Pan Am Jet Crashes in Scotland, Killing 270 Libya Admits Culpability In Crash of Pan Am Plane...
2023-11-031h 03Disaster AreaEpisode 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 Gaddafi 'ordered Lockerbie bombing' Anger at Lockerbie bomber welcome Pan Am Jet Crashes in Scotland, Killing 270 Libya Admits Culpability In Crash of Pan Am Plane Lockerbie and t...
2023-11-0158 minDisaster AreaEpisode 221: The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquke and tsunami - Part 3In 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 the World Tsunami: Caught on Camera 2004 Boxing Day tsunami playlist Articles and books: One train, more than 1,700 dead 10 years after tsunami, Utah man recovers, composes...
2023-09-291h 41Disaster AreaEpisode 220: The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - Part 2First 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, more than 1,700 dead 10 years after tsunami, Utah man recovers, composes music linked to experiences The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami: The Story of the Deadliest Natural Disaster of the 21...
2023-09-221h 10Disaster AreaEpisode 219: The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - Part 1On 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 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, more than 1,700...
2023-09-1558 minDisaster AreaEpisode 218: The Chilwell munitions factory explosionOn 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 History of the First World War in 100 Moments: When corpses fell from the Nottinghamshire sky Historic England Research Records: National Filling Factory Number 6 Chilwell Remembering the Chilwell Depot...
2023-08-011h 37Disaster AreaEpisode 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 bridge collapse Questions Rise About Previous Knowledge Of Bridge Hopes Dim in Minneapolis for Survivors Park board approves site for I-35W bridge memorial Hundreds turn out...
2023-07-211h 38Disaster AreaEpisode 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 shooting appears in court Club Q Mass Shooting Survivor: It Was Home And To Not Have That Anymore Hurts Articles and books: Timeline: Club Q emergency response What We Know About the Colorado Springs Sh...
2023-07-011h 35Disaster AreaBonus: The OceanGate submersible implosionWhile 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.
2023-06-271h 27Disaster AreaEpisode 215: The Rhoads Opera House fireIn 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 House Fire, Boyertown 1908
2023-06-011h 24Disaster AreaEpisode 214: The Indiana State Fair stage collapseWhen 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 Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse - Weather Moments Before Sugarland Opens Up About Tragedy A STAGE FELL ON ME | Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse How the 2011 Indiana State Fair...
2023-05-191h 512023-05-161h 16Disaster AreaEpisode 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) Trapped Underground for Hours After Horrific Train Crash (S 1 Ep 3) Fukuchiyama Derailment Mystery (Toshiden podcast, Tara A. Devlin) Articles and books: Families, S...
2023-04-282h 04Disaster AreaEpisode 212: The Grenfell Tower fire - part threeIt 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 Grenfell Tower fire New video timeline shows how the Grenfell Tower fire unfolded What Happened With The Cladding At Grenfell Tower? Articles and books:...
2023-03-151h 05Disaster AreaEpisode 211: The Grenfell Tower fire - part twoIt 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 Grenfell Tower fire New video timeline shows how the Grenfell Tower fire unfolded What Happened With The Cladding At Grenfell Tower? Articles and books:...
2023-03-0842 minDisaster AreaEpisode 210: The Grenfell Tower fire - part oneIt 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 Grenfell Tower fire New video timeline shows how the Grenfell Tower fire unfolded What Happened With The Cladding At Grenfell Tower? Articles and books:...
2023-03-0152 minDisaster AreaEpisode 209: The sinking of the SS Princess SophiaHave 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. Videos: Disasters of the Century: The Princess Sophia Sinking The Sea Hunters: The Princess Sophia tragedy ...
2023-02-011h 32Disaster AreaEpisode 208: The 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collisionAh, 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 horrifying moment. Videos: Fatal Collision Over the Grand Canyon | America's Worst Disaster | United 718 and TWA 2 Air Collision Over The Grand Canyon | Mayday...
2023-01-171h 46Disaster AreaEpisode 207: The Humboldt Broncos bus crashOn 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 'Humboldt Driver,' speaks about the tragedy Articles and books: Agreed Statement of Facts - Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash Humboldt bus crash cause unknown as new details on...
2022-12-211h 32Disaster AreaEpisode 206: The Bazar de la Charité fireThe 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 tragedy. Videos: Visit to the site of the charity fire on Rue Jean Goujon Documentaire sur l'histoire de l'incendie du bazar de...
2022-12-011h 52Disaster AreaEpisode 205: The Boston Marathon bombing - Part TwoOn 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 Shaped America: Boston Bombing Nova - Manhunt Boston Bombers Boston Marathon Documentary - Amazing History & Injustices Discovery+: What Really Happened, the Boston Marathon bombing, parts one and two ...
2022-11-232h 01Disaster AreaEpisode 204: The Boston Marathon bombing - Part OneOn 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 Shaped America: Boston Bombing Nova - Manhunt Boston Bombers Boston Marathon Documentary - Amazing History & Injustices Discovery+: What Really Happened, the Boston Marathon bombing, parts one and...
2022-11-161h 00Disaster AreaEpisode 203: The Nepalese royal massacreThe 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 Royalty Articles and books: Love and Death in Kathmandu: A Strange Tale of Royal Murder, by Amy Willisee and Mark Whittaker Death, Love and Conspiracy...
2022-09-092h 19Disaster AreaEpisode 202: The San Juanico disasterThe 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 worst Pemex blast still want answers Mexican Blast Stirs Anger, Criticism Center for Chemical Process Safety: Thirty Years Ago - An LPG Tragedy State and community during the aftermath of Mexico City's November 19, 1984 Gas Explosion...
2022-08-241h 11Disaster AreaEpisode 201: The 1995 Chicago heat waveFor 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/.
2022-08-121h 59Disaster AreaEpisode 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
2022-07-191h 02Disaster AreaEpisode 199: Apollo 1There 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 13, by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger Deke, by Deke Slayton and Michael Cassutt Chasing the Moon, by Robert Stone...
2022-06-221h 57Disaster AreaEpisode 198: The Christchurch mosque shootingsA 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.
2022-05-261h 41Disaster AreaBonus: Disaster Area road trip Part 2: The New YorkeningIn 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.
2022-05-101h 38Disaster AreaEpisode 197: Operation Yellow RibbonWe 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.
2022-05-011h 44Disaster AreaEpisode 196: The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreakIn fifteen minutes one Friday in April of 1967, one tornado slashed through the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn, leaving dozens dead in its wake. But it wasn't the only tornado to strike the area that afternoon.
2022-04-211h 26Disaster AreaEpisode 195: The San Bernardino massacreIt was just supposed to be a typical office training session masked as a Christmas party - the speeches, the boring videos, the slideshows that probably could have been an email. But at 11 AM, everything changed when a person dressed all on black entered the conference room and began shooting. Then it got worse - they weren't alone.
2022-04-131h 46Disaster AreaEpisode 194: The 1989 San Bernardino train wreckFirst, the train ran off the rails. Then, fire rained from the sky. Hell, it seemed, had come to San Bernardino.
2022-04-061h 24Disaster AreaEpisode 193: TWA Flight 3When Hollywood legend Carole Lombard boarded TWA Flight 3 on January 16th, 1942, in Las Vegas, she hoped to be home in only a few short hours. She and the twenty-one other people on board only made it thirty-three miles closer to home.
2022-03-022h 04Disaster AreaEpisode 192: The Erfurt latrine disasterWhat do you get when you have sixty noblemen in a cess pit? One of the most disgusting disasters of all time.
2022-02-1856 minDisaster AreaA quick announcement!I just wanted to share some news regarding the podcast for those of you who don't follow the social media accounts or Patreon. Nothing terrible, I promise.
2022-02-1505 minDisaster AreaEpisode 191: The 2020 Calabasas helicopter crashWhen we all first heard basketball legend Kobe Bryant had died, the world was in disbelief. But the how of it all made everything so much more tragic.
2022-02-112h 04Disaster AreaEpisode 190: The GMAC massacreDragging yourself into work on a Monday can always feel grim. But on June 18th, 1990, the employees at the GMAC office in Jacksonville, Florida, had something far more terrifying than boring meetings to look forward to that day.
2022-02-0453 minDisaster AreaEpisode 189: Hurricane AgnesAnd now for Jennifer's hometown disaster - when one small hurricane turned southern New York and Pensylvania into one big muddy lake.
2022-01-281h 54Disaster AreaEpisode 188: The New London school explosionOn March 18th, 1937, the students in the junior-senior high school of New London, TX, sat waiting in eager antipation of the end of the school day, looking forward to a three-day weekend. But the school, and many of the students and teachers inside the building, wouldn't make it to 3:30.
2022-01-071h 58Disaster AreaEpisode 187: The Trolley Square shootingThe Trolley Squre Mall in Salt Lake City was a popular and historical landmark with a quaint and quirky design. On February 12th, 2007, a young man would arrive at the mall to do something no one, not even his family, saw coming.
2021-12-311h 15Disaster AreaEpisode 186: The Ramstein air show disasterThe first maneuver the Frecce Tricolori display team would perform at the Ramstein air show on August 28th, 1988, was called the pierced-heart maneuver. But when three of the planes collided, what followed woud instead pierce through the heart of the crowd, killing dozens.
2021-12-161h 52Disaster AreaEpisode 185: The 2017 Portland train attackThe man on the train would not be quiet, and what he was saying was horrifying. Three men would stand up to him. Only one of those men would survive.
2021-12-041h 16Disaster AreaEpisode 184: The Taconic State Parkway tragedyWe will never know the entirety of what happened on the Taconic State Parkway on July 26th, 2009, but we know enough - that a drunk and high mom driving a van loaded with five children drove the wrong way and struck another vehicle, leaving eight people dead. It's in the details where the mystery grows.
2021-11-271h 50Disaster AreaEpisode 183: The Oppau explosionOn September 21st, 1921, the day dawned just like any other workday at the BASF fertilizer plant in Oppau, Germany. But just a few minutes after 7:30 that morning, an explosion rocked the town and left hundreds dead underneath the remains of Oppau.
2021-11-211h 02Disaster AreaEpisode 182: The Ghost Ship warehouse fireOn the night of December 2nd, 2016, an Oakland warehouse burned to the ground. There was just one small problem - it wasn't empty at the time.
2021-10-311h 39Disaster AreaBonus: Disaster Area road trip!Jennifer went on a five-day-long pilgrimage to as many disaster sites as she could manage and now she's going to talk about it for two whole hours.
2021-10-092h 09Disaster AreaEpisode 181: The Sandy Hook school shootingOn December 14th, 2012, a young man carrying a Bushmaster rifle walked over the shattered glass from the front doors of Sandy Hook Elementary School and into the building. He was already a murderer. In another five minutes, he would be dead.
2021-10-021h 09Disaster AreaEpisode 180: American Airlines Flight 587September 11th was still fresh in everyone's minds when, two months later, an Airbus 300 crashed in a Queens neighborhood after takeoff from JFK International Airport. Was it terrorism, or something else?
2021-09-2947 minDisaster AreaEpisode 179: The 1993 World Trade Center bombingIt has been twenty years this month since the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, but they weren't the first time the trade center found itself the target of a deadly terrorist attack.
2021-09-261h 26Disaster AreaEpisode 178: The 1990 Plainfield tornadoWe are so used to receiving all sorts of warning on our phones - Amber alerts, COVID exposures, weather watches. One weather app on our phone is all it takes to be warned of flood conditions or upcoming storms. But in 1990, people in northeastern Illinois received absolutely no warning that a powerful late-summer tornado was about to tear their lives apart.
2021-09-091h 05Disaster AreaEpisode 177: American Eagle Flight 4184Waiting is just a part of flying anywhere, whether it's hanging out waiting to board the plane, twiddling your thumbs while your plane waits for permission to take off, sighing in frustration as the captain announces you'll need to hold over your destination and won't be landing on time. But it could be worse ... far, far worse.
2021-09-041h 02Disaster AreaEpisode 176: The Italian hall disasterAfter six months of striking against the copper companies of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the families of the striking miners -especially their children - looked forward to a union Christmas party at the Italian Hall in Calumet. Everyone was having a wonderful time, right up the moment a strange man appeared and yelled, "Fire!"
2021-09-011h 37Disaster AreaEpisode 175: The Hotel Roosevelt fireA month after the death of President John F. Kennedy, plenty of Americans could use whatever pick-me-up they could get. The Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL, was just such an event. But after a night of celerating came the tragedy that unfolded when exhausted football fans awoke in hotel rooms slowly filling with smoke.
2021-08-111h 36Disaster AreaEpisode 174: BhopalIt's late at night, and you're sleeping soundly until you're awakened by a stench that makes your stomach roll. You hack and cough as your eyes burn. You can barely breathe. So you grab your spouse and your kids, and you run. You run, not just by yourself, but with everyone in your neighborhood, all of you trying to escape a silent killer.
2021-08-041h 27Disaster AreaEpisode 173: The Oklahoma City bombingAt 9:02 AM on April 19th, 1995, an explosion rocked the downtown area of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. When people saw the devastated Alfred P. Murrah federal building, many thought at first it was a natural gas explosion. But it turned out to be something much more sinister.
2021-07-282h 30Disaster AreaEpisode 172: Comair Flight 5191Being the only survivor of a plane crash is difficult enough. Being the only survivor when you were the one in the cockpit is another level of tragic.
2021-07-011h 19Disaster AreaEpisode 171: The battle of Blair MountainIn the early 1900s, the coal fields of West Virginia were a tough place to work. With the mine owners keeping a tight grip on their wallets, miners got cheated out of their rightful earnings left, right, and center. From 1912 to 1922, southern West Virginia became a hotbed of miners who refused to take the mine owners' disrespect any longer.
2021-06-241h 44Disaster AreaEpisode 170: United Airlines Flight 93Imagine you get up at the crack of dawn for a work trip, drag your tired body to the airport, and get onto a plane that sits in a line to take off for another forty minutes. You may think things can't get any worse. You would be wrong.
2021-06-171h 35Disaster AreaEpisode 169: The Wilmer bus fireAs Hurricane Rita approached Texas in September of 2005, three million people evacuated the Houston area, among them a busload of thirty-seven residents from the Brighton Gardens of Bellaire assisted living facility. Twenty-three of them would ever make it to their destination alive.
2021-06-021h 17Disaster AreaEpisode 168: The Prestonsburg bus crashIt was a clear winter's day, and there was no reason to think the trip to school on bus #27 would be any different than any other day. But as driver John DeRossett steered the bus around the curve after Knottly Hollow, what happened next would devastate the entirety of Floyd County, Kentucky.
2021-05-261h 18Disaster AreaEpisode 167: The attack on Black Wall StreetOne hundred years ago this month, the Greenwood district of Tulsa - arguably the most prosperous Black community in America - faced one of the darkest, most shameful days in American history.
2021-05-212h 09
Disaster AreaEpisode 29: A Massacre in Wilkes-BarreIn the vein of My Favorite Murder, this episode features one of Jennifer's hometown murders: a mass shooting which happened at a time when mass shootings were still fairly uncommon. They were an unlikely family: one man, four women, and their children living together in a crowded home in Wilkes-Barre, PA. But one of them was suffering from the effects of a crumbling mind, and on September 25, 1982, that mind disintegrated into violence.(Trigger warning for the deaths of children.)
2017-02-0248 min
Disaster AreaMovie Break: Dante's PeakThis week, Jennifer found a wine she likes (a first!) so she's taking a break from researching the next episode to watch Dante's Peak, where everything is made up and the facts don't matter. Except for Pierce Brosnan being a gorgeous magical creature. That always matters.
2016-12-241h 41
Disaster AreaMovie Break: Airplane vs. VolcanoOn this episode, Jennifer uses the Movie Break she saved up for a special occasion to cap off a ridiculously awful week and watch "Airplane vs. Volcano." Keep liquor and the Internet Movie Database handy. If you can pronounce the name of the Icelandic volcano by the end of the episode, you're a better person than Jennifer.
2016-11-1351 min
Disaster AreaMovie Break: The Day AfterFor fuck's sake, Jolene. Jennifer revisits the "let's watch a nice educational TV movie about what'll happen when the Russians nuke us" genre by watching "The Day After." You know, the cheerful one.
2016-08-0947 min
Disaster AreaMovie Break: TwisterThis week, Jennifer takes an episode off and stays sober to watch "Twister," because who needs to get drunk when you've got magical tank tops, slightly less creepy than normal clown dolls, and omnipotent cell phones?
2016-05-251h 13
Disaster AreaMovie Break: The Poseidon AdventureJennifer takes a break from the usual podcast to drink a few hard root beers and talk about one of her favorite movies of all time, "The Poseidon Adventure." In this episode, she talks about the plot hole that eats characters in the original book, emergency hot pants in the 1972 film, and Fergie paying the mortgage in the early-2000s remake. (TW: Discussion of rape as a plot point in one part of the episode.)
2016-02-221h 20
Disaster AreaDisaster Area: An IntroductionWelcome to the first episode of "Disaster Area," a podcast focusing on disasters throughout history. In this initial episode, host Jennifer Matarese introduces herself, shares what she will and won't be discussing in each episode, and gives some idea of which disasters will be analyzed in future episodes.
2015-12-3108 min