Disasters

On the night of February 18, 1952, during one of the worst winter storms that New England has ever seen, two oil tankers just off the shore of Cape Cod were torn in half by the force of the storm....

When a forty-seven-foot sailboat disappears in the Gulf Stream in the throes of a disastrous storm, it leaves behind three weary passengers struggling to stay alive....

This is the incredible true story of the 12 boys trapped with their coach in a flooded cave in Thailand and their inspiring rescue. Award-winning author Marc Aronson brings us the backstory behind how this astounding rescue took place....

Tornadoes tear through the land, skipping over one street and devastating the next....

Learn about the deadly and unexpected blizzard that slammed the Midwestern United States in 1888 and doomed many young lives in this addition to the New York Times Bestselling What Was? series....

The Great Fire of 1871 was one of the most colossal disasters in American history - with damage so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again....

Walter Isaacson’s #1 New York Times bestselling history of our third scientific revolution: CRISPR, gene editing, and the quest to understand the code of life itself, is now adapted for young listeners....

Rhinos in Nebraska tells the story of the Ashfall Fossil Beds, where more than 200 perfectly preserved fossils have been found....

An unusually warm winter day resulted in 2.3 million gallons of molasses flooding the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The disaster killed twenty-one people and injured 150 others....

This is the compelling story of the "Okie" migration to California and of the construction and life of a remarkable school at a farm workers' camp....

Book six in the True Rescue series for young listeners, this pulse-pounding account of disaster and survival at sea follows the HMS Bounty whose fateful course through Superstorm Sandy would lead to one of the most heroic Coast Guard rescue missions ever....

Did the Great Chicago Fire really start after a cow kicked over a lantern in a barn? Find out the truth in this addition to the What Was? series....

From best-selling author Kenneth C. Davis comes a fascinating account of the Spanish influenza pandemic 100 years after it first swept the world in 1918....

On August 25, 2005, one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes in history hit the Gulf of Mexico. High winds and rain pummeled coastal communities, including the City of New Orleans, which was left under 15 feet of water in some areas after the levees burst....

In this young readers edition of the New York Times bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert tells us why and how human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before....

Each book in the True Horse Stories focuses on a contemporary horse from a different part of the world, and each animal is, in his or her own way, a hero.

At 800 feet in length, the Hindenburg was the largest airship ever built - just slightly smaller than the Titanic! Also of a disastrous end, the zeppelin burst into flame as spectators watched it attempt to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937....

What are tornadoes? Blizzards? Hurricanes? Listeners will learn the ins and outs of severe weather in this book....

In this addition to the What Was? series, kids will experience what it was like to be in San Francisco in 1906 when the ground buckled in a major, catastrophic earthquake....

The panic-filled summer of 1916, when multiple deadly shark attacks shocked the nation, is chronicled in this gripping addition to the New York Times Best-Selling What Was? series....

Imagine a force that can toss boats around like toys, wash away bridges, and create waves as high as 18 feet. With fierce winds and torrential rains, hurricanes can do all of these things....

A raging wildfire burns thousands of homes. A violent earthquake creates a giant tsunami that destroys countless lives. A giant tornado wipes a small town off the map.

Tornadoes are funnel-shaped clouds that can cause massive destruction on the ground. Their winds can swirl faster than 260 miles per hour....

In Whistler, British Columbia, dogs can be found riding chairlifts, perched on skiers' shoulders, and even descending from helicopters - all in the race against time to save people caught in the path of an avalanche....

Wildfires are one of nature's most frightening forces. In this exciting and historical account of many of the worst fires in American history, all the terror, destruction and human tragedy are vividly retold....

Whether it's being lost in a cave or caught in a collapsed mine, being trapped underground can be terrifying. You may be cold, wet, hungry, and stuck in absolute darkness. Even worse is not knowing if anyone will ever find you. Find out how people survived their ordeal in these true stories of those who were trapped underground in this book from the Fighting to Survive series.

Smoke in the air. Crackling wood. Wildfire! Get to safety, fast. Dry weather, strong winds, and careless actions can all cause forests to burn. Firefighters battle wildfires from the ground and from above. But you can be prepared!

Deep underwater, something shifts. Ocean water pulls back from the shore, then comes flooding back. Tsunami! These massive waves happen when earthquakes or other actions cause huge amounts of water to shift.

A rumble deep inside Earth. Hot, flowing magma is trapped and needs a way to escape. Pressure builds and causes a break in the surface. Eruption! Volcanic eruptions can shoot lava, ash, and smoke over a huge area. Why do they happen?

Desert, forest, or prairies—droughts can happen anywhere. Discover how small shifts in rain amounts can cause big changes to the land. Learn about droughts, what causes them, and how living things adapt to survive.

You may know about the sinking of the Titanic. But did you know science played a big role in the ship’s voyage, disaster, and discovery? Learn all about the ship and the events that led to its sinking.

People, plants, and animals all need rain. But the ground can take in only so much. Too much, and the land will flood. Farms and cities can be damaged. People must move to dry ground until, slowly, the water soaks into the earth.

Wildfires rip through forests, choke the air with smoke, and destroy homes. Some wildfires are sparked by nature. Others are started by humans. All come with devastating results.

Out in the ocean, clouds spin. Thunderstorms, heavy winds, and rain move toward land. Hurricane! These severe storms can cause floods and other damage. But you can be prepared! Learn about hurricanes, pay attention to warnings, and stay safe.

On July 1, 1916, witnesses watched in horror as twenty-eight-year-old Charles Vansant was attacked and killed by a shark in shallow water off Beach Haven, New Jersey—the first recorded shark attack in American history. Scientists claimed a shark could not be responsible, but more deadly attacks soon followed along the Jersey Shore and up the freshwater Matawan Creek, setting off a nationwide panic that led the White House to declare a “War on Sharks.”