Join Jenny, the Disaster Queen, as she takes a deep dive into a 15-foot storm surge that devastated turn-of-the-century Galveston, Texas. This posh boomtown took a huge hit and never saw it coming, even though one man probably should have. The Galveston hurricane is still the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States 123 years later and saw over 1/6 of the city's population go to their graves. We will talk about the how, the why, and what was learned and put in place to protect Galveston from hurricanes forever. Here are the resources I used to research this episode: book: I ..read more

On this episode of the Disaster Queen podcast, we will take a deep dive into the event that President Jimmy Carter says was the worst day of his life: the failed mission to rescue our hostages in Iran, code named Operation Eagle Claw. Not only did the mission fail, but it became a bona fide tragic disaster when eight brave service men died. It was the death knell to Carter's presidency and a huge embarrassment for our country. This disaster took place on April 24-25, 1980, just 3 short weeks before the eruption of Mount St. Helens, which I covered in episode one. Here are the sources I used t ..read more

On May 18, 1980 the sleeping giant that was Mount St. Helens awoke and erupted with a force that blew even studied geologists away with its violence. We'll deep dive into the eruption and it's devastating toll, including a massive loss of human life and an unprecedented environmental destruction. Mount St. Helens killed 57, wounded many many more, and destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of acres of forest. Why didn't authorities do more to protect the people in the surrounding areas when the mountain was giving clear signs that an eruption was imminent? We'll cover all that on more on th ..read more

On this episode of the Disaster Queen Podcast, Jenny covers the first "act of man" disaster of the podcast - the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. We will learn about this tragedy that cut a bloody swath through Boston's biggest celebration of the year and its perpetrators: who they were, why they did it, and how they were found out and caught. We will also see how their actual capture was its own mini-disaster (and what can be learned from that!) and see the people of Boston come together in a beautiful way. Of course, we will honor the lives of those who died, the bravery of the first ..read more

Join Jenny, the Disaster Queen, and her special guest and BFF Becky Dell, as they discuss the November 18, 1978 deaths of 918 Americans in the jungles of Guyana. This is our first two-part story because it's just too big to cover in one episode! Learn all about cult leader Jim Jones, how he attracted a following to his "church," and the many abuses of power he used to get them to follow him to the jungle of Guyana to a settlement called Jonestown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information ..read more

Join Jenny, the Disaster Queen and her BFF Becky Dell as they discuss the terrible ending of Jim Jones' socialist dream with the mass "murder-suicide" (the Disaster Queen calls it straight up murder) of over 900 of Jones' followers as well as Congressman Leo Ryan and several members of the media on November 18, 1978. Before the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, it was the largest loss of civilian American life in a single event. Learn about what happened, the events that led to the END, and what the world learned from this heinous tragedy. Here are the sources I used to research this epis ..read more

When 600 times the normal amount of rain fell on Eastern Kentucky in late July 2022, there was nowhere for its residents to run, and no time: a devastating flash flood came in the middle of the night and washed homes and lives away in mere minutes. Disaster Queen Jenny Rapson talks with lifelong friend Lori Houghton about this tragic natural disaster that occurred in a beautiful yet hard place to live, where they both have familial roots. 45 people and 9,000 homes were lost in this devastating modern-day disaster. Here are the resources I used to research this episode: https://dailyyonder.co ..read more

In this BONUS episode wrapping up season one of the Disaster Queen podcast, join Jenny, the Disaster Queen as she remembers where she was and what she was thinking during the biggest disasters of her life, including the space shuttle Challenger explosion, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 9/11 terror attacks, and more. Some favorite documentaries I recommend: 9/11: One Day in America 9/11: Four Flights Challenger: Final Flight American Experience: Oklahoma City Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information ..read more

Join Jenny, the Disaster Queen as she discusses the Apollo 1 disaster, which resulted in the death of three astronauts on the ground -- NOT in space. We'll learn about how and why NASA was blindsided by this disaster, about the brave men who died in this tragic accident, and how NASA took steps to ensure that this kind of failure during a routine test would never happen again. Here are the resources I used to research this episode: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/55-years-ago-the-apollo-1-fire-and-its-aftermath Documentary: Mission Control Documentary: Apollo: Missions to the Moon https://en.w ..read more

On this episode, Jenny, the Disaster Queen discusses the devastating terror attack by the Palestinian group Black September on a group of Israeli athletes and coaches that ended in disaster and tragedy at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich, West Germany. What was supposed to be an event of brotherhood and sportsmanship was violated by terror and murder. Here are the resources I used to research this episode: https://www.britannica.com/event/Munich-Massacre https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fatah https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-September-political-organization-Palestine https://apnews.com ..read more