How to Disaster

Jennifer Gray Thompson
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Weekly

How to Disaster is a podcast for people navigating the aftermath of disaster — and for the leaders, helpers, and decision-makers working to support them. Hosted by Jennifer Gray Thompson, CEO of After the Fire USA, the show makes disaster recovery clearer, more human, and less overwhelming. Each episode helps listeners understand what happens after the headlines fade: how recovery systems work, why decisions matter, what communities need, and how people find their way forward. Through thoughtful conversations with survivors, practitioners, policymakers, storytellers, and community leaders, How to Disaster translates complex issues into grounded, accessible insight. Alongside Jennifer’s conversations, wildfire survivor, Kim Marshall, brings listeners closer to the lived reality of recovery through on-the-ground conversations with people impacted by disaster. The show does not sensationalize crisis or debate climate politics. Instead, it offers clarity, context, and connection for people living through disaster and those trying to help. If you are recovering, supporting someone who is, or trying to better understand how disaster reshapes lives and communities, this podcast is here to help you feel less alone and understand what comes next.

  1. 6. Ready Is the New Well: What the Data Says About Disaster, Resilience, and the Coming Culture Shift | Cecelia Girr

    2d ago

    6. Ready Is the New Well: What the Data Says About Disaster, Resilience, and the Coming Culture Shift | Cecelia Girr

    Cecelia Girr is Director of Cultural Strategy at Backslash, the cultural intelligence unit of Omnicom Advertising, and the author of Ready Is the New Well, a landmark report for the Global Wellness Institute on preparedness as a cultural movement. Kim Marshall is the host of LA Rising: Stories of Healing, Help, and Hope, a podcast born from the LA fires. In this special double-hosted episode, Cecelia joins Jennifer Gray Thompson and Kim Marshall to talk about what the data actually shows: why extreme weather is no longer extreme, why the 2030s will be defined by resilience, and how preparedness has moved from the fringes of doomsday prepper culture into the mainstream. They cover fear-based messaging and why it drives paralysis rather than action, Yale research showing that small acts of preparedness reduce anxiety and depression, the role of technology in democratising disaster readiness, the rise of disaster-literate social media creators and brands designing for emergencies, and why social connection turns out to be the strongest predictor of survival after a disaster. Jennifer also talks about the Watch Duty app, block captains, and the third way between paralysis and denial. This is a conversation about culture, data, and what it actually looks like when a society decides to get ready. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryReady Is the New Well - Global Wellness InstituteBackslash at Omnicom AdvertisingLA Rising Podcast with Kim MarshallWatch Duty AppCommunity Brigade MalibuConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    57 min
  2. 5. Fire Survivors Are Being Left to Figure It Out: iO Wright on Building PostFire

    May 22

    5. Fire Survivors Are Being Left to Figure It Out: iO Wright on Building PostFire

    Jennifer Gray Thompson speaks with Eaton Fire survivor, journalist, and PostFire co-founder iO Wright about what happens when a person loses their home and is suddenly forced to navigate a recovery system that is confusing, fragmented, and often hard to access. iO shares how he and his partner, Patty, turned their own experience of loss into PostFire, a revolutionary survivor-centered platform designed to offer clear, fact-checked, trauma-informed guidance for people rebuilding after fire. Their conversation looks at the gaps survivors face around insurance, housing, FEMA, debris removal, donations, rebuilding costs, and information overload. It also explores why dignity, choice, and trusted communication matter so much after disaster, especially when people are exhausted and trying to make decisions that will shape the next several years of their lives. At its heart, this episode is about what becomes possible when survivors are listened to, supported, and trusted as experts in their own recovery. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryPostFireiO WrightPostFire on InstagramConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    1h 35m
  3. 4. We Threw Away Our Political Identities. Then We Started Getting Things Done. | Joel Pollak

    May 15

    4. We Threw Away Our Political Identities. Then We Started Getting Things Done. | Joel Pollak

    Joel Pollak is a journalist, opinion editor at the California Post, and a Palisades Fire survivor, devoted husband and father of four whose home survived the fire but was badly smoke-damaged, and with four children, he and his wife had to fight the insurance company. They are still not home. In this episode, Joel joins Jennifer Gray Thompson to talk about what it actually means to have a standing smoke damaged home, why it is in many ways harder to navigate than a total loss, and what the past year of fighting his insurance company has looked like from the inside. They cover the moment Joel drove back into the fire zone with a press pass and found his house still standing, the neighbor he never identified who stretched the hose across his lawn and tried to save it on his behalf, the insurance company’s opening offer of $5,000 for the contents of a family home, the public adjuster who changed everything, the lead and arsenic in the soil that had to be trucked to Arizona, and the 35 day threat that nearly forced him to sell.  They also talk about what it took to bridge a significant political divide, why disaster recovery needs people from every side of the aisle, and what Joel saw when he visited Coffee Park in Santa Rosa and felt, for the first time, something like hope. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryEaton Fire Survivors NetworkThree Homeless Guys PodcastConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedInProduced by NOVA

    1 hr
  4. 3. "We've Been Fighting Fire Wrong for 100 Years" - Ralph Bloemers on What the Fire Service Can't Tell You

    May 8

    3. "We've Been Fighting Fire Wrong for 100 Years" - Ralph Bloemers on What the Fire Service Can't Tell You

    Ralph Bloemers is an environmental law attorney, filmmaker, and storyteller whose work has taken him from burn landscapes in eastern Oregon to the halls of Congress and the screens of PBS. He is the co-creator, with filmmaker Trip Jennings, of Elemental and Weathered, two landmark films on fire, forests, and the communities living with both. In this episode, Ralph joins Jennifer Gray Thompson for a wide-ranging conversation about why fire is not the enemy, what it actually takes to protect a home, and how we change a culture that still doesn’t fully understand what it’s up against. They cover the suppression era that set the West up for mega fires, the indigenous fire practices that were criminalized for generations and are only now being restored, the physics of ember storms and what mesh on your vents can actually do, why community-level ignition resistance matters more than any single home, the storytelling innovations, from reggae music videos to a cartoon of a house in a psychiatrist’s chair, that Ralph is using to make the prepare message actually land, and the policy and insurance battles that Jennifer and Ralph have fought side by side on behalf of fire survivors. Ralph is one of the most original thinkers working in this space. This is a conversation worth your time. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryGreen Oregon Watch ElementalWatch Weathered on PBSCultural Fire Management Council - Margot RobbinsCAER Earth - mycoremediation for Fire-Affected SoilsFoothill Catalog Foundation Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    1h 31m
  5. 2. They Said It Wasn’t His Lane. He Built It Anyway | John Mills of Watch Duty

    May 1

    2. They Said It Wasn’t His Lane. He Built It Anyway | John Mills of Watch Duty

    John Mills is the co-founder and CEO of Watch Duty, a nonprofit emergency alerting app that gives civilians real-time wildfire intelligence drawn directly from first responder radio traffic. In this episode, John joins Jennifer Gray Thompson to talk about how Watch Duty was built, why it was necessary, and where it is headed. They cover the problem Watch Duty was created to solve, how it scaled from a single county in Sonoma to all 50 US states, the harrowing experience of staying live and accurate during the LA fires, and what it means to build something disruptive in a space that does not always welcome disruption. John also speaks to the future of Watch Duty as it prepares to expand beyond wildfire into flooding and other natural disasters. Resources: How to Disaster Download the Watch Duty appLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    1h 27m
  6. 1. Why We Relaunched How to Disaster, and What Survivors Need Most

    May 1

    1. Why We Relaunched How to Disaster, and What Survivors Need Most

    In this relaunch episode, Jennifer Gray Thompson explains why How to Disaster is returning now and what the show is here to offer people living through disaster and recovery.  She shares how After the Fire began, what the organization has learned from years of walking alongside fire-affected communities, and why recovery works better when people do not try to carry it alone. The episode also introduces the show’s larger mission: helping listeners feel less isolated, more informed, and better able to face what comes next. Resources: How to Disaster Learn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    46 min

  7. 10/13/2025

    029: Day 3 Closing Remarks

    In this heartfelt closing session of the Wildfire Leadership Summit, Jennifer Gray Thompson reflects on the journey from disaster to recovery. She shares the powerful story of how communities across California, Oregon, and Hawaii have rebuilt after devastating wildfires—from Santa Rosa and Paradise to Greenville and Lahaina. With gratitude for her dedicated team, partners, and community leaders, Jennifer honors the progress made, the resilience of survivors, and the unbreakable spirit that drives recovery. A moving reminder that rebuilding is possible—together.   Connect with After The Fire USA:  Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA X: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

    13 min

  8. 10/13/2025

    028: Day 3 Closing Keynote: The Heart of Ohana: Leading with Hope Through Loss

    A heartfelt address on Maui's wildfire recovery, community resilience, and rebuilding efforts, delivered by a local leader. The speaker reflects on the importance of community-led recovery, cultural preservation, emergency preparedness, and housing stability. Highlights include progress on rebuilding Lahaina, strengthening emergency management, and ensuring residents can return home. The talk closes with a personal ukulele performance celebrating Haleakalā, Maui's iconic mountain.   Connect with After The Fire USA:  Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA X: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

    22 min
See All (163)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

How to Disaster is a podcast for people navigating the aftermath of disaster — and for the leaders, helpers, and decision-makers working to support them. Hosted by Jennifer Gray Thompson, CEO of After the Fire USA, the show makes disaster recovery clearer, more human, and less overwhelming. Each episode helps listeners understand what happens after the headlines fade: how recovery systems work, why decisions matter, what communities need, and how people find their way forward. Through thoughtful conversations with survivors, practitioners, policymakers, storytellers, and community leaders, How to Disaster translates complex issues into grounded, accessible insight. Alongside Jennifer’s conversations, wildfire survivor, Kim Marshall, brings listeners closer to the lived reality of recovery through on-the-ground conversations with people impacted by disaster. The show does not sensationalize crisis or debate climate politics. Instead, it offers clarity, context, and connection for people living through disaster and those trying to help. If you are recovering, supporting someone who is, or trying to better understand how disaster reshapes lives and communities, this podcast is here to help you feel less alone and understand what comes next.

Information

  • Creator
    Jennifer Gray Thompson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    163
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Yes
  • Show Website
    How to Disaster

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