Great Disasters
Kari Fay·64 episodes
Whether natural or man-made, disasters attract a strange mixture of horror and fascination. However, the spectacle of devastation is only ever one part of the story. Take a closer look, and you will find tales of extraordinary human endurance and heroism, stories that veer from the horrific to the oddly humorous, and lessons that can be learned to make our world safer. From the Titanic to the Costa Concordia, the Station nightclub fire to the Pulse nightclub shooting, these extraordinary events – and the people involved – are examined on the Great Disasters podcast, written, researched, recorded and produced by me, Kari Fay. ...
Why listen
Great Disasters is a carefully researched solo-narrated documentary podcast from Kari Fay about catastrophes, survival, and the human decisions behind them. Episodes move beyond spectacle into eyewitness accounts, official reports, lessons learned, and the strange details that make historical disasters feel immediate. It is a strong fit for listeners who like narrative history, aviation and maritime incidents, engineering failures, and sober true-story storytelling.
Series(1)
Episodes
On a foggy day in 1945, the busy streets of New York City were interrupted by a sound that shouldn't have been there - a plane, flying between the skyscrapers, and set on a collision course with the tallest building in the world.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
Every year brings its share of tragic events. A few are somewhat predictable - we will always expect a number of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones, for example - while others are more unusual. Some grab headlines and make history, and others are quickly forgotten. These are the events which shaped 2023.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
How much tragedy can a single year bring? From the Hunga Tonga volcano to the Buffalo snow storm, let's take a look at the disasters which shaped the year 2022.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
The story of 33 men trapped deep within a Chilean mine gripped not only their nation, but the whole world. This episode of Great Disasters draws on contemporary reporting and the survivors' accounts to tell a fascinating story of hope and survival against the odds.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
In this episode of Great Disasters, I'll be looking at the shipwreck of a migrant boat off the coast of Lampedusa in 2013.The beautiful Italian island of Lampedusa is accustomed to the arrival of migrant boats, and the frequent need to rescue their occupants, since it's the closest European land to the coast of Libya. However, this incident was on an unprecedented scale.Drawing on contemporary reporting and the accounts of witnesses and survivors, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
A look back over the disasters and tragedies which shaped 2021, from COVID-19 to the Surfside Condo Collapse, the La Palma Volcano, and more.(Apologies if my narration isn't as precise as usual - I am in the middle of some significant dental work.)Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93, and the brave actions of the passengers and crew on board.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 77 and events at The Pentagon in Washington DC.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at aspects of events in New York, not covered in the previous episodes.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.This is a series in six parts. This episode looks specifically at the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 175, and events at the South Tower of the World Trade Center.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.This is a series in six parts. This episode looks specifically at the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11, and events at the North Tower of the World Trade Center.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.This is a series in six parts. This episode gives an overview of the events of 9/11. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
The submarine sank in relatively sheltered waters, just fourteen miles from shore. Although her front end was on the sea bed, her rear end was lifted several feet out of the water. Surely rescue for the 103 men on board would be quite simple? Drawing from contemporary accounts and modern research, I'll tell the harrowing story of the HMS Thetis.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
A commercial airliner drops from the sky over Africa without a single word; what happened, and how could it have prevented further tragedy?Drawing from official reports and contemporary reporting, I'll tell the story of LAM Mozambique Flight 470Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It started as a lovely, mild winter's day - but it turned deadly, and those most at risk were the children.Drawing from contemporary newspaper accounts, modern research and more, I'll tell the story of the Schoolhouse Blizzard.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It burned around 1.5 million acres, killed over a thousand people, and ranks as the deadliest wildfire in history. Yet it is largely forgotten, because it happened the same night as the Great Fire of Chicago.Drawing from the tales of survivors, contemporary newspaper accounts and more, I'll tell the story of the Peshtigo Fire.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It was the age of airships - gigantic silver balloons which floated almost silently across the sky - but Britain's dreams of an Imperial airship fleet were about to be tragically dashed.Drawing from contemporary reporting, eyewitness accounts, official reports and more, I'll tell the story of the R101.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It should have been a fun evening of music and dancing - but it abruptly turned into a gruesome scene of tragedy.Drawing from contemporary reporting, eyewitness accounts, and official reports, I'll tell the story of the Hyatt Regency Skywalk Collapse.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
An incident in an elevator led to an outpouring of hatred, gunfire and flame. It was America's worst single incident of racial violence, yet for decades many had never even heard of it.Drawing from contemporary reporting, eyewitness accounts, and modern research, I'll tell the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Support: https://blacklivesmatter.com, https://www.standuptoracism.org.uk. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
A crowded ferry set sail from Zeebrugge on a cold March evening - but just outside the harbour walls, tragedy struck, and a straightforward crossing turned into a fight to survive.Drawing from contemporary coverage, official reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Herald of Free Enterprise.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
After a church outing to an amusement park, an old yellow school bus full of sleepy kids made its way home along the interstate. At the same time, a pickup truck was driving the other way - in the same lane. Drawing from contemporary coverage, official reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Carrollton Bus Crash.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
A wave of black, sticky molasses engulfs a Boston neighbourhood, wreaking a sweet-tasting but deadly kind of havoc. It's one of history's more unusual disasters, but that doesn't mean it should be treated lightly. Drawing from both modern and contemporary reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Boston Molasses Flood.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It should have been an ordinary Wednesday morning commute, with the biggest worry being whether there would be any seats free on the train. Instead, it was described as being akin to the battlefields of the war just seven years past. Drawing from contemporary reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Harrow & Wealdstone rail crash - Britain's deadliest peacetime train disaster.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
A bright, sunny New York morning turned to disaster in a matter of moments - and it would be the city's most deadly disaster for almost a hundred years. This heartbreaking disaster literally decimated a community, with a death toll of over a thousand, mostly women and children.Drawing from contemporary reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the General Slocum disaster.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It was supposed to be a fun afternoon; hundreds of children packed into Sunderland's Victoria Hall for a magic show. Their tickets promised the greatest treat ever given, and the chance of presents, too. However, for many it would end in the most heartbreaking tragedy possible.Drawing from contemporary and modern accounts, I'll tell the story of the Victoria Hall disaster.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami brought unspeakable devastation to Japan, but they were only part of the story. A third disaster followed when the first two cut off power to one of the world's largest nuclear power plants. Now a race was on to contain the meltdown and save the country.Drawing heavily from eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
Japan is a country that's accustomed to earthquakes, and one you might have thought would be prepared for anything. However, they were not prepared for the scale of the megathrust earthquake that happened one Friday afternoon in March.Drawing heavily from eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
More than 250 people boarded a DC-10 airliner for a luxurious sightseeing trip in one of the most remote parts of the world. Their trip came to an unexpected and tragic end on the side of a mountain.Using contemporary news reports, the accounts of those involved in the investigation, and the two official reports produced, I'll tell the story of the Erebus Disaster.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
The Yangtze River is the third longest in the world - and when it breaks its banks, its power should not be underestimated.Using contemporary accounts and modern analysis, I'll tell the story of the 1931 China Floods.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It is perhaps the most famous volcano in the world - but the event it’s best known for happened almost two thousand years ago. So what is it about Mount Vesuvius that allows its story to endure?Using the eyewitness account of Pliny the Younger and other historic and modern material, I'll tell the story of Vesuvius and Pompeii.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
In December, 1941, thousands of American servicemen were enjoying themselves on the idyllic Hawaiian island of Oahu, where the Pacific Fleet was in port. Then, on a date that would "live in infamy", they were abruptly and dramatically pulled into the Second World War.Using eyewitness accounts and contemporary material, I'll tell the story of Pearl Harbor.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
On January 16th, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia launched on its 28th mission, a scientific expedition that would see the crew spend sixteen days in orbit carrying out research. All went well - until it was time to come home.Drawing on contemporary news items, witness accounts, and official reports, I'll tell the full story of the tragic loss of Columbia.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
In 1859, a spectacular auroral display astonished people all around the world - it was visible far beyond the usual latitudes for such a sight. At the same time, the nascent telegraph system went haywire, and an English astronomer gazing at the sun spotted the connection. Drawing on contemporary news reports and modern research, I'll tell the story of the Carrington Event - and how it could be a warning of future disaster.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
In the glamorous Gangnam area of Seoul, South Korea, hundreds of shoppers browsed through luxury goods or stopped to grab a couple of things on their way home from work. Then, with a loud bang, the store literally collapsed around them.Drawing on contemporary news reports and accounts from survivors, witnesses and investigators, I'll tell the full story of the Sampoong Department Store collapse.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
Also known as "an Gorta Mór" in Irish, or the Irish Potato Famine to those outside the Emerald Isle, the Great Hunger created a dividing line in Irish history. It was triggered by the potato blight, but the true depth of misery that it brought was largely created by the politics of the British government.Drawing on contemporary news reports and historical research, I'll tell the full story of the Irish Famine.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
The Princess Alice was a popular pleasure steamer plying the waters of the River Thames. The Bywell Castle was a collier ship from Newcastle, making its way out to sea after repainting. When the two met on the river, hundreds died.Drawing on accounts from eyewitnesses and survivors, as well as contemporary news reports, I'll tell the full story of the sinking of the Princess Alice.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
The people of Pripyat knew something had happened at the nearby power plant - but they only realised how serious it was two days later, when they were ordered to evacuate the city.Drawing on accounts from eyewitnesses and survivors, as well as contemporary news reports and expert assessments, I'll tell the full story of the horrifying Chernobyl disaster.This is the second of two episodes on this topic.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
In April 1986, power plant operators prepared to carry out a planned test which would take less than a minute. Instead, they triggered a disaster with consequences that would last for thousands of years.Drawing on accounts from eyewitnesses and survivors, as well as contemporary news reports and expert assessments, I'll tell the full story of the horrifying Chernobyl disaster.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
People gathered on the beaches to watch the awesome waves, but this was no mere squall coming in from the Gulf. It was a hurricane, and by the following day there would not be a single building in Galveston standing undamaged.Drawing on eyewitness accounts, official reports and contemporary news reports, I'll tell the full story of the devastating Galveston HurricaneVisit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
It started as a wisp of smoke, but within a few short minutes it turned into a deadly inferno from which fifty six football fans were unable to escape.Drawing on eyewitness accounts, official reports and contemporary news reports, I'll tell the full story of the Bradford City stadium fire.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
Social, political and geological factors combined to create disaster on an almost unbelievable scale. The 2010 Haiti earthquake killed at least 100,000, and displaced millions.Drawing on eyewitness accounts, official reports and contemporary news reports, I'll tell the full story of the worst disaster the 21st century has so far seen.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
With an experienced driver in the engine, the Flying Scotsman service was steaming along at full speed on its way to London when suddenly, it left the rails. 28 people were killed in the mangled wreckage. The question was, why?Drawing on official reports and contemporary accounts, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
This episode looks at a disaster which struck close to my home - the Morecambe Bay cocklepicking disaster. A large group of Chinese immigrant labourers were sent out onto the sands to collect cockles, but they didn't know just how dangerous the tide can be.Drawing on official reports and witness accounts, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Thanks to Tim Liardet for permission to include part of his poem, Priest Skear.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
In this episode, I'm looking at the case of the de Havilland Comet - the first commercial jet airliner. Three crashes within short succession in the 1950's hinted at a deadly flaw in the plane's design, but it would take pioneering investigative techniques to reveal it.Drawing on official reports and contemporary accounts, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
In this episode of Great Disasters, I'll be looking at the Piper Alpha explosion; the deadliest off-shore oil rig disaster to date.There were more than two hundred men aboard Piper Alpha that summer night, 120 miles out in the midst of the North Sea. When the platform they called home exploded, they were thrown into a battle for survival between the flames and the waves.Drawing on official reports and the accounts of witnesses and survivors, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.Support the show
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the world's most prestigious motor races. Established in 1923, it challenges both man and machine to compete at the very edge of their ability. In 1955, that challenge led to catastrophe.Support the show
With America lagging behind the Soviet Union in the space race, JFK made a promise to reach the moon. Three men paid the price on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral. Support the show
An ordinary summer's day in Italy was disturbed by the sudden appearance of a white cloud. The cloud was vapour that had been released by a local chemical plant, and Seveso would forever be known for its impact.Support the show
British weather in January doesn't tend to be very pleasant, if we're honest about it. However, sometimes it moves far beyond the realms of "slightly miserable" and into a completely different category - deadly.Support the show
It started with some abandoned equipment and two scavengers looking for scrap metal. The stuff they found inside looked so pretty, with its magical blue glow, that people passed it around and wore it like carnival glitter. They didn't know that it was deadly.Support the show
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