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. 4h ago

    15. Community-Led Recovery: Leadership Lessons from Maui with Richard Bissen

    Mayor Richard Bissen reflects on leading Maui through the immediate response and long recovery following the August 2023 fires.  He shares why listening, community meetings, trusted local advisers, and careful preparation have shaped the county’s approach to rebuilding Lahaina. The conversation also explores the tension between urgency and safety, the importance of protecting communities from outside interests, and why recovery must restore people and culture, not only structures.  In “Kim on the Street,” Lahaina Brewing Company founder Mary Anderson shares how cooperation and community support helped her business find a way forward after the fire. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryCounty of MauiConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    15. Community-Led Recovery: Leadership Lessons from Maui with Richard Bissen

  2. Jul 24

    14. The Art of Recovery: Turning Loss Into Leadership in Altadena with Aloe Blacc

    In this episode of How to Disaster, Jennifer speaks with American singer and songwriter Aloe Blacc about the Eaton Fire, its impact on his family, and the community of Altadena that he has worked to support in its aftermath. He reflects on evacuating during extreme winds, seeing places his children knew and loved damaged by the fire, and carrying both personal grief and a growing responsibility to speak up for others. They also explore the role of art in recovery, from music and songwriting gatherings to the ways creative expression can help people process loss and imagine a future together. Aloe shares what makes Altadena so special, why its history and relationships matter, and how staying rooted in community can offer hope during a long recovery. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryAloe Blacc’s WebsiteAloe Blacc Instagram Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    14. The Art of Recovery: Turning Loss Into Leadership in Altadena with Aloe Blacc

  3. Jul 17

    13. Why Relationships Matter When Disaster Hits with Renae Hanvin and Dr. Daniel P. Aldrich

    In this episode of How to Disaster, Jennifer speaks with Renae Hanvin and Dr. Daniel P. Aldrich about why relationships are one of the strongest foundations of disaster resilience and recovery. Together, they explain social capital in plain language: the connections, trust, and cooperation that help communities prepare, respond, and rebuild.  The conversation looks at how these ties can be measured, mapped, and supported before disaster strikes, not only after. It also offers a grounded reminder that recovery is not just about roads, buildings, or systems. It is also about the people, places, and everyday connections that help a community come back. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryResilient ReadyDr. Daniel P. Aldrich Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    13. Why Relationships Matter When Disaster Hits with Renae Hanvin and Dr. Daniel P. Aldrich

  4. Jul 11

    12. What Recovery Requires From Local Government with Tennis Wick

    In this episode of How to Disaster, Jennifer Gray Thompson talks with Tennis Wick, former Permit Sonoma Building Department Director, about what local government becomes after a megafire. Drawing from Sonoma County’s 2017 fires, Tennis reflects on the early chaos, the emotional weight carried by public servants, and the responsibility of serving people who have lost nearly everything. Together, Jennifer and Tennis discuss why disaster recovery cannot be measured only by permits, dashboards, or houses rebuilt. They explore the importance of compassion inside bureaucratic systems, from creating separate spaces for fire survivors to helping people move through permitting with dignity, patience, and care. The conversation also looks at leadership across Sonoma County, Maui, and Los Angeles, including the role of elected officials, block captains, mutual aid, and community trust. Tennis offers a grounded view of what recovery asks of local government: honesty, humility, creativity, and a willingness to solve problems instead of only naming barriers. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    12. What Recovery Requires From Local Government with Tennis Wick

  5. Jul 4

    11. Rebuilding Altadena After the Eaton Fire

    In this episode of How to Disaster, Jennifer speaks with Alex Athenson of the Foothill Catalog Foundation and Chris Corbett of Altadena Collective about rebuilding after the Eaton Fire.  Both guests bring an architectural lens to recovery, but their work begins with survivors, community identity, and the emotional weight of coming home. Together, they explore how thoughtful design, pre-approved plans, community listening, and practical support can make rebuilding more affordable, more humane, and less overwhelming.  This conversation offers a grounded look at what it takes to rebuild not just houses, but trust, belonging, and hope. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryFoothill Catalog FoundationAltadena CollectiveConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    11. Rebuilding Altadena After the Eaton Fire

  6. Jun 26

    10. Two Communities. One Truth. | Ash Level & Nicole Huguenin

    Ash Level is AN ATLADENA NATIVE AND the founder of Altadena Rising, an organisation born from the Eaton Fire that is focused on empowering survivors and filling the gaps that outside institutions consistently miss. Nicole Huguenin is part of Maui Rapid Response, a hub within a wider network of organisations that has been doing care at scale since the Lahaina fire and through four major storms since. Both of them stepped into leadership not because they wanted to, but because their communities needed someone who actually knew them to stand up. Both are still going, long after the cameras moved on. In this episode, Ash and Nicole join Jennifer Gray Thompson to talk about what emergent community-led recovery actually looks like from the inside: the historical distrust that shapes how their communities receive outside help, why institutional systems consistently fail the most vulnerable, how they navigate funders who want KPIs for work that cannot always be quantified, and what it costs personally to show up every day for people in the worst moments of their lives. They also talk about Kuleana, the Hawaiian concept of collective responsibility to care for the land, family, and community, what it means to triage by trauma, why being a reliable narrator is the foundation of staying power, and what it looked like for Nicole to visit Altadena and finally begin processing grief she had been carrying since Lahaina. This is a conversation about care, community, and what real recovery requires of the people who refuse to walk away. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryAltadena Rising on InstagramMaui Rapid ResponseCultural Fire Management CouncilConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    10. Two Communities. One Truth. | Ash Level & Nicole Huguenin

  7. Jun 19

    9. Fire-Resistant Wood, Forest Recovery, and What Comes Next with Tyler Freres

    In this episode, Jennifer Gray Thompson speaks with Tyler Freres about what it can mean to rebuild with wood after a megafire. Tyler shares the story of his family’s long-standing timber business in Oregon’s Santiam Canyon, how the Beachie Creek Fire affected both the community and their forestland, and why the recovery of burned timber matters for local economies, land restoration, and future resilience. The conversation also looks at mass timber and mass plywood panels, including how engineered wood can perform in fire, earthquakes, high wind events, and other hazards when it is designed thoughtfully. Tyler explains why many assumptions about wood, steel, concrete, and fire resistance are more complicated than they first appear, and how prefabricated wood systems can help buildings go up more efficiently. Throughout the episode, Jennifer and Tyler return to a larger question: how do we care for forests, communities, and rebuilding in ways that are practical, ecologically responsible, and hopeful? Listeners will come away with a clearer understanding of forest management, fire-safe construction, and the possibility that beauty and resilience do not have to be treated as opposites. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryFreres Engineered WoodConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA

    9. Fire-Resistant Wood, Forest Recovery, and What Comes Next with Tyler Freres

  8. Jun 13

    8. What Disaster Leaves Behind: Brian Fies on Memory, Loss, and Recovery

    In this episode of How to Disaster, Jennifer Gray Thompson speaks with cartoonist and author Brian Fies about A Fire Story, his graphic memoir about losing his home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire. Brian shares how the book began in the first days after the fire, when he was still trying to understand what had happened while also documenting it with the eyes of a storyteller. Their conversation moves through the realities of disaster recovery: walking through a destroyed neighborhood, navigating insurance, rebuilding, accepting help, and learning what people actually need in the aftermath. Brian also reflects on the role of block captains, neighbors, local leadership, and the quiet ways communities begin to organize when everything familiar has been disrupted. Jennifer and Brian also talk about memory, art, humor, grief, and the strange mix of loss and connection that can follow disaster. This episode offers a grounded look at what it means to survive, rebuild, and carry both the old life and the new one forward. Resources: How to DisasterLearn more about After the Fire USAAfter the Fire USA Resource LibraryLA Rising Podcast with Kim MarshallWatch Duty AppA Fire Story by Brian FiesCommunity Brigade MalibuConnect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn Produced by NOVA: https://novapodcasting.com

    8. What Disaster Leaves Behind: Brian Fies on Memory, Loss, and Recovery
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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
    172
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Yes
  • Show Website
    How to Disaster