In the 29th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we go into two different incidents that happened ten years and ten miles from each other in San Juan Puerto Rico. The hotel fire has always intrigued me, and the building explosion was a listener request. And remember, Puerto Rico isn't a foreign country, but is rather a territory of the United States. And hopefully, in the near future, the 51st or 52nd state, along with Washington, DC.

Podcast #29, The Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire of 1986 and the Humberto Vidal Building explosion of 1996

If there is a catastrophe or disaster, manmade or natural, it has probably grabbed our attention.  Join us as we delve into the world of catastrophes and disasters, find out what went wrong, and the lasting consequences.

History

Society & Culture

Science

In the 37th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we delve into the troubled history of the de Havilland Comet, and how the lessons learned from those crashes led to safer airplanes today, led to a better understanding of metal fatigue, and unwittingly gave rise to de Havilland's competitor, Boeing, taking the lead in jet airliners.

Podcast #37, The Crashes of the de Havilland Comets in the 1950s

In the 36th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we delve into the last time the world was under the grips of a disease on a massive scale - the Spanish Flu of 1918. In this podcast, we talk about the potential origins, why it's called The Spanish Flu when there was no origin of the virus in Spain, and how one city avoided the second wave of the flu, only to be taken down the the third wave.

Podcast #36, The Spanish Flu of 1918

In the 35th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we delve into the most powerful earthquake to rock Japan that has ever been recorded, and the ensuing tsunami and nuclear disaster. Also, I interview Professor Daniel Aldrich who has written a book about survival when it comes to Japan's 3/11 Catastrophes, and the surprising (to me, at least) rates of survival and how people who were more socially connected were better prepared for not just the event, but for survival afterward.

Podcast #35, The 3/11 Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Catastrophes of Tohoku, Japan

In the 34th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we look at the worst single-aircraft accident loss of life in aviation history, and the bungled rescue operation that was so bad it cost people their lives.

Podcast #34, The Crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 on August 12th, 1985

In the 33rd podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we look at the mid-air collision of a Boeing 727-200 and a Cessna, how some symptoms of the crash linger on in aviation even today, and what changes came about because of the crash, making aviation that much safer.

Podcast #29, The Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire of 1986 and the Humberto Vidal Building explosion of 1996

Download our free app to listen on your phone