At long last, the government’s rescue effort kicks into high gear and buses arrive to evacuate people from New Orleans. But it’s too late for many residents, who died in their homes waiting to be rescued. Thousands of people’s lives are shattered, and the damage to the city is extensive, particularly in predominantly Black neighborhoods like the Lower Ninth Ward. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wo...
Sep 05, 2023•44 min•Season 30Ep. 4
Days after Hurricane Katrina floods their city, residents of New Orleans become increasingly desperate, as the government bungles the rescue effort. Using doors and other items to make improvised rafts, people make their way from their flooded homes to the Superdome and the Convention Center, which the city has set up as emergency shelters, only to find both venues lacking in food and resources. Meanwhile, the city’s largest public hospital, Charity, remains unevacuated, as its staff struggles t...
Aug 29, 2023•43 min•Season 30Ep. 3
Officials learn that the storm surge from Katrina has breached New Orleans’s levees, allowing water to pour into the city. Soon, 80 percent of New Orleans is underwater. Many residents become trapped in their homes, and are forced to climb into their attics and onto rooftops, as their neighborhoods flood. With the power out and phone service down, the local and federal government struggle to mount relief efforts, leaving thousands of people to fend for themselves without food, drinking water, or...
Aug 22, 2023•44 min•Season 30Ep. 2
It’s late August 2005, and the city of New Orleans makes preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Katrina. But after decades of hurricanes missing the city, many residents are confident they can ride out the storm. By the time Mayor Ray Nagin orders the first mandatory evacuation in New Orleans history, it’s too late for some to leave. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://won...
Aug 15, 2023•46 min•Season 30Ep. 1
Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert went through the ordeal of their lives on the Apollo 13 Mission. But the people manning Houston’s Mission Control faced their own challenges as they figured out how to bring the astronauts home safe. Former NASA Flight Director Gerry Griffin was in that room, more than 50 years ago. He joins Host Mike Corey to share his experiences steering the mission from the ground, and what it was like to advise director Ron Howard on the movie, Apollo 13 . Listen earl...
Aug 08, 2023•34 min•Season 29Ep. 6
Six days into their mission, the Apollo 13 astronauts have been working under immense pressure and on very little sleep. Tempers grow short as they battle with Mission Control in Houston over what steps to take for their biggest challenge yet: reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/againsttheodds . Support us by supporting our sp...
Aug 01, 2023•44 min•Season 29Ep. 5
The three astronauts on the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft round the Moon and finally begin the return leg of their journey toward Earth. But their troubles are far from over. They still have to strictly ration the amount of power they’re using, so they have enough remaining for the all-important reentry procedure. They also must execute a series of precise “burns”—firing their rockets at just the right instant to get them back on a trajectory to Earth. One small mistake could send them hurtling ...
Jul 25, 2023•45 min•Season 29Ep. 4
The three astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft have retreated into the cramped lunar module, the only part of the spacecraft that’s still fully functioning. Back on Earth, NASA’s Mission Control sets up an elite team of engineers—the Tiger Team—to figure out how to stretch the spacecraft’s dwindling water, heat, and power over the perilous, days-long journey back to Earth. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Ava...
Jul 18, 2023•46 min•Season 29Ep. 3
After an explosion cripples the Apollo 13 spacecraft, NASA’s Mission Control in Houston scrambles to come up with a plan to save the crew. Step one involves stabilizing Apollo 13 to preserve as much precious air, water, and power as possible. Step two involves figuring out a flight plan to get the three astronauts back home as soon as possible. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App htt...
Jul 11, 2023•47 min•Season 29Ep. 2
On April 11th, 1970, NASA launched Apollo 13, its third manned mission to the Moon. But two days into its journey, an explosion wiped out a major source of oxygen, limiting the ship’s water and power supplies. The three astronauts onboard found themselves stranded in a crippled spacecraft 200,000 miles from Earth, while their families—and the entire nation—watched helplessly from the ground. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free l...
Jul 04, 2023•49 min•Season 29Ep. 1
On May 22, 2018, Claire Nelson set out on what she thought would be a four-hour hike in Southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park. An experienced hiker, Claire packed plenty of water and followed an established trail in a park visited by millions of people each year. But after taking a wrong turn, she slipped off a boulder and shattered her pelvis. Injured and exposed to the elements, she found herself alone in the desert in a fight for her life. On this special episode, Claire Nelson join...
Jun 27, 2023•45 min•Season 28Ep. 1
In a final attempt to escape the Andes, Nando and Roberto have headed east to pursue safety. The men face a difficult journey as the weather takes a turn for the worst, and their food supply dwindles. Back at the fuselage, their teammates wait for rescuers to arrive. The remaining survivors have accepted their fate: they're all doomed if the two men don't find civilization. There is only one option left. Roberto and Nando must survive their hike out through one of the largest mountain ranges in ...
Jun 20, 2023•46 min•Season 27Ep. 4
After escaping an avalanche that killed eight more passengers, the survivors of the Fairchild are starting to lose all hope. Many in the group are on death’s door. Time is running out. They can’t wait any longer for rescue. They must seek it out on their own. The expedition to find help and get off the mountain is more urgent than ever. Nando and Roberto will have to debate the best path to safety, but the men can take only one route. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exc...
Jun 13, 2023•48 min•Season 27Ep. 3
The remaining survivors of the Fairchild crash are starting to lose hope that rescuers will arrive after ten days of inactivity. Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa understand their only chance at survival is to send a small team through the Andes mountains and down into Chile for help. Unfortunately, they remain stranded, and their food supply has just run out. If they’re going to climb through the Andes successfully, they’ll need to build up their strength and make some tough decisions. Listen e...
Jun 06, 2023•46 min•Season 27Ep. 2
In October 1972, an Uruguayan rugby team traveling to their next match in Santiago, Chile, crashes into the Andes Mountains after their plane strikes a glacier. Stranded on the snow-covered side of a mountain, they will have to do the unthinkable to survive. Initially, 29 passengers survive the collision but they must endure freezing temperatures with no winter clothes and only a few light snacks for food. The landscape is barren, and as night falls, the temperature drops below zero. The r...
May 30, 2023•47 min•Season 27Ep. 1
Of the more than 500 Prinsendam passengers and crew, every one of them was eventually rescued and brought to safety. Today, two of those survivors, John and Malory Graham, join host Mike Corey to share their experience of the fire and rescue. Malory was just 13-years old when she boarded the ship for an adventure with her dad, John. We’ll also hear from retired Coast Guard Captain Stephen Corcoran about getting the call Prinsendam was in trouble, and what it was like arriving on the scene. Liste...
May 23, 2023•38 min•Season 26Ep. 5
Rescue workers begin the painstakingly slow process of airlifting cruise ship evacuees one by one from their lifeboats. But a typhoon has turned the Gulf of Alaska into a raging sea, and as they await rescue, many of the passengers fear they’ll either drown or die of hypothermia. Just when rescuers think they’ve saved everyone, they realize they’ve overlooked one lifeboat. Amid rain and massive waves, and with darkness approaching, they worry they might never find it. Listen early and ad free wi...
May 16, 2023•43 min•Season 26Ep. 4
With the fire aboard Prinsendam now burning out of control, the captain gives the order to abandon ship. Passengers, some dressed only in pajamas and nightgowns, scramble into wooden lifeboats, which are lowered into the dark and frigid waters of the Gulf of Alaska. Meanwhile, rescue vessels – both military and private – rush to the scene. But with over 500 passengers and crew in need of saving, and a typhoon closing in, they’re in a race against time. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Joi...
May 09, 2023•43 min•Season 26Ep. 3
As crew members aboard Prinsendam work to contain the fire, passengers shiver on the decks in the cold night air. The mood is mostly festive; everyone expects that the fire will be extinguished soon. But when the blaze spreads to the dining room, the ship’s captain realizes he has no choice. He issues an SOS. If help doesn’t come soon, they’ll have to abandon ship — with a typhoon headed straight toward them. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early acc...
May 02, 2023•39 min•Season 26Ep. 2
In October of 1980, the luxury cruise ship Prinsendam set sail from Vancouver with more than 300 passengers aboard, many of whom were elderly. But just after midnight on the cruise’s fourth day, in the Gulf of Alaska, a fire broke out in the ship’s engine room. The crew battled to contain the blaze, but with limited firefighting equipment, it was unclear if they could prevent the fire from spreading, and threatening the entire ship. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for ...
Apr 25, 2023•42 min•Season 26Ep. 1
It’s officially Against the Odds’ 100th episode! To celebrate the milestone, hosts Cassie De Pecol and Mike Corey sit down to reminisce about their favorite seasons, swap stories of their own adventures, and discuss the pioneers who inspire them. Later, author and podcaster Chris Williamson joins Cassie to dive into Amelia Earhart’s final flight and the mystery of her disappearance. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free list...
Apr 18, 2023•39 min•Season 25Ep. 3
By 1929, Amelia Earhart was famous for her groundbreaking flight across the Atlantic, with pilot Bill Stultz and mechanic Slim Gordon. Now, she seemed to be living the perfect life: she was a rich and famous celebrity and could fly whenever she liked. But all that attention made her uncomfortable. After all, Amelia wasn’t the pilot of her transatlantic flight. So she decided to make herself into the aviator she always wanted to be. Only another death-defying adventure would prove to Am...
Apr 11, 2023•46 min•Season 25Ep. 2
In April 1928, a social worker named Amelia Earhart received a phone call that would alter the course of her life. She was offered the chance to become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. Charles Lindbergh had completed his famous solo flight the year before, but many others had died trying. Amelia would be joined by only a pilot and a mechanic, for a long flight that was sure to be fraught with danger. But it was an adventure she couldn’t turn down, an undertaking that changed...
Apr 04, 2023•46 min•Season 25Ep. 1
Bear. Running. Toward me. Writer and wildlife biologist Caroline Van Hemert encountered only one dangerous bear on her four-thousand-mile trip from Washington to Alaska. She survived to write about it in The Sun is A Compass: My 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds. Caroline joins host Mike Corey to talk about her own experiences with bears, and what drew her to the story of snowboarder Bart Pieciul’s violent bear encounter, which she wrote about for Outside Magazine . Listen early and ad f...
Mar 28, 2023•36 min•Season 24Ep. 3
After Bart Pieciul is mauled by a bear in the Alaska wilderness, his friends have to use all of their outdoor knowledge to keep him alive. The three men are stranded in the mountains for hours, waiting for a Coast Guard helicopter to airlift Bart to the nearest hospital. As the temperature drops, they’re desperate to prevent their friend from succumbing to blood loss and hypothermia. And they have no idea if the bear that attacked him will return. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Joi...
Mar 21, 2023•48 min•Season 24Ep. 2
The residents of Haines, Alaska are used to living alongside bears. The region surrounding their small town has one of the densest bear populations in the world. But as climate change curtails the bears’ natural food sources, encounters between bears and humans are becoming more common, putting everyone on edge. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/again...
Mar 13, 2023•47 min•Season 24Ep. 1
When outdoor writer Pete Takeda first heard the story of a covert CIA operation in the Himalayas, he couldn’t believe it. So he decided to investigate. His curiosity led him on an adventure to the Himalayas in search of answers. Today, Pete joins host Cassie De Pecol to share how he ascended some of the planet’s most challenging peaks to research his book, An Eye At The Top of the World: The Terrifying Legacy of the Cold War’s Most Daring C.I.A. Operation. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+....
Mar 07, 2023•35 min•Season 23Ep. 4
Two years have passed since the team of Indian and American elite climbers lost a nuclear-powered spying device in the Himalayas. Now, as China continues to test its nuclear weapons, the climbing team is given one last chance to complete their mission. This time they have to bring a new spying device up a different mountain. But as they summit the 22,000 foot peak called Nanda Kot, they’ll face avalanches, severe weather, and a shocking last-minute setback. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+...
Feb 28, 2023•44 min•Season 23Ep. 3
Winter storms arrived early on the Himalayan peak Nanda Devi, forcing the team of American and Indian climbers to retreat down the mountain and abandon the nuclear-powered spying device. Now in the spring of 1966, the team has to go back up to retrieve it. But they are unprepared for what they will discover when they get there. Listen early and ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app....
Feb 21, 2023•38 min•Season 23Ep. 2
In 1965, with Cold War tensions escalating, the CIA and India’s Intelligence Bureau joined forces to spy on China’s budding nuclear program. Satellites and spy planes at the time were unreliable, so the agencies hatched an unusual plan: place a nuclear-powered spying device atop Nanda Devi, the tallest mountain located entirely within India. The world’s best climbers from both America and India must scale the treacherous peak while carrying the dangerous device up to over 23,000 feet. Listen ear...
Feb 14, 2023•47 min•Season 23Ep. 1
