Disaster Queen

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...

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 civil...

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...

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 Fligh...

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...

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...

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 resourc...

On Christmas Eve 1913, a Christmas party for the children of striking copper miners ends in disaster when someone yells "FIRE" and a stampede to get out of the building ensues. Join us as we learn about the lives of these (mostly immigrant) copper miners, their struggles, and the Christmas Eve tragedy that marked Michigan's Upper Peninsula forever. Join Jenny and her special guest, her cousin and...

On this episode of the Disaster Queen Podcast, we will go with a tour group of mostly cruise ship passengers as they visit the majestic Whaakari volcano near Whakatane, New Zealand. Known in English as White Island, this gorgeous active volcano is the definition of adventure tourism, and the main source of industry for the town of Whakatane. But it all goes horriby wrong on December 9, 2019 when W...

On this episode we will discuss my great hometown disaster, the Great Dayton Flood of 1913, which took place in Dayton, Ohio and actually devastated many parts of southern Ohio. The levees at the Great Miami River broke on March 25,1913, places tens of thousands of lives in danger, destroying homes and businesses, and taking hundreds of lives. I grew up learning about this disaster as a kid so it'...

The United Kingdom's worst mining-related disaster took place in Aberfan, Wales on October 21, 1966. 144 people were killed when 297,000 cubic yards of coal waste slid down a hillside and crushed part of a village, and a staggering number of them were children. This is a disaster that definitely has a legacy of making things safer for the rest of us. It's tragic but fascinating, and the lives of t...

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 i...

On this episode of Disaster Queen, I welcome my long-time friend Mary Carver and tell her the story of a terrible tragedy in her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. She doesn't love disasters but she does love me, so it works out! Join us as she recoils in horror about the disaster she's managed to not learn about despite living there her whole life! LOL! On July 17, 1981, tragedy struck a crowded...

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...

On February 1, 2003 the space shuttle Columbia and her seven astronauts began their return to earth after a successful 16-day science mission. Family and friends joyously awaited their arrival at Kennedy Space center, but the shuttle never appeared. Soon, news stations began running shuttle-watcher home video of the shuttle breaking apart in a blaze of light above Texas and Louisiana. NASA officia...

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 a...

Get a peek into why the Disaster Queen podcast exists and what you can expect when you listen. Hosted by Jenny Rapson, the Disaster Queen. Show premieres JUNE 1, 2023!!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.