Small Islands Big Picture episode 17: Narrating Disaster – what’s it like to live through a hurricane or volcanic eruption?

Image Credit: Deron Levy / Shutterstock.com via odi.org

Disasters are a constant part of life on islands – but outsiders often just see the stats: storm categories, earthquake scales, eruption sizes. Behind those numbers are real people forced to live through harrowing experiences. In this episode, Matt and Emily ask: how do survivors make sense of the shock – and how do their stories help communities rebuild what was lost?

This episode explores how storytelling helps survivors of extreme disasters in places such as small islands make sense of catastrophe and, over time, rebuild. It also highlights the deep, practical knowledge that local communities hold – knowledge that can shape better preparation, response, and recovery. As climate change fuels more frequent and intense weather events, the international community must do more to help prevent these hazards from becoming full-blown disasters. This episode challenges us to listen differently: not just to the science, but to the stories.