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How to Disaster

How to Disaster

Written by: Jennifer Gray Thompson
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About this listen

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.

Yes Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 2. They Said It Wasn’t His Lane. He Built It Anyway | John Mills of Watch Duty

    2. They Said It Wasn’t His Lane. He Built It Anyway | John Mills of Watch Duty
    May 1 2026

    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 app
    • Learn more about After the Fire USA
    • After the Fire USA Resource Library
    • Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn


    Produced by NOVA
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • 1. Why We Relaunched How to Disaster, and What Survivors Need Most

    1. Why We Relaunched How to Disaster, and What Survivors Need Most
    May 1 2026

    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 USA
    • After the Fire USA Resource Library
    • Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn


    Produced by NOVA
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • 029: Day 3 Closing Remarks

    029: Day 3 Closing Remarks
    Oct 13 2025

    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
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    13 mins
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