On November 23rd a fire was reported in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Chimney Tops.  This is a popular section of the park.  Thought the trail is relatively short (just under 2 miles each way) there is an elevation gain of almost 1,000 feet the last mile up.  The wildfire was human caused and under investigation. This fire was relatively small at its inception but on November the 27th, the Monday after Thanksgiving, extreme winds began blowing embers over a large area and the fire began to grow rapidly. The resort communities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge were particularly hard hit. Reported wind speeds of over 70 mph coupled with the extreme drought conditions brought tragedy.  As of this writing there are 14 confirmed deaths and 1,700 structures damaged or destroyed.  The fire has burned over 17,000 acres. For a current status of the fire go here - http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5112/...

As owners of Disaster Gear, we have the opportunity to learn of various types of weather across the United States and around the world. As we are headquartered in the Southern U. S., we rarely get much winter weather beyond cold and wet.  So, when a snow event is forecast we look on it with childish enthusiasm.  The grocery store shelves are emptied of bread, milk and other essentials as if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were descending upon us.  Ok, maybe not that bad but you get my drift. Our friends who live farther north take great delight in making fun of our inability to cope with a small amount of frozen precipitation.  We always encourage them to come visit and see what it is like to drive on an elevated highway, frozen and "slick as glass" with no snow tires and no snow removal equipment.  The best advice...

There is growing concern among U.S. leaders regarding the vulnerability of the electrical grid to an EMP (whether natural or man-made) or sabotage.  Water and food suplies, transportation, communications, law enforcement, hospitals, banking, etc. all rely on the grid being up and fuctioning.  It is estimated that in the event of a large scale power disruption and extended blackout,  up to 90% of the United States population would not survive for more than 6 monhts. How well are you and your family or business prepared for a long term power disruption?...

Disaster Gear will be launching a site focusing on the issues surrounding our fragile electric grid including links to recent news, research papers, and steps you can take to protect yourself in case the Grid goes down for a short or long period of time.  Stay tuned....

Death tolls now expected to reach over 10,000. Before the typhoon landed, meteorologists had detected wind speeds of 194mph near the center with gusts up to 378kph, making it one of the strongest storms ever recorded. Our parent company, Moore Tech Solutions, has several team members in the Philippines that we are thankful are safe. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the inhabitants of the wrecked city of Tacloban, on the east coast....

A tropical disturbance over the western Caribbean - Invest 97L is generating heavy rains over Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.  More info here....

Tropical Storm Karen has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and will move into the southern United States this weekend with heavy rain, gusty winds and rough seas. Karen should make landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast over the coming weekend. There is a chance Karen becomes a hurricane before making landfall. More detail here. If you are at risk, make sure you have your hurricane preparations complete....

A tropical storm is moving in a westward path across the Atlantic and may become a hurricane within one day — which would make it the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2013 season. The first hurricane of the season usually forms by Aug. 10. Since the mid-1960s, the latest date for the first hurricane to form was set in 2002 when Hurricane Gustav formed on Sept. 11. Tropical Storm Humberto’s maximum sustained winds climbed to 60 mph by 11 p.m. ET Monday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It may become a full-fledged hurricane Tuesday, the center said....

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated its hurricane season forecast Thursday, reducint the number of hurricanes they expect this year to between six and nine. The forecast calls for three to five of those hurricanes to be major, which means that the  winds are greater than 110 mph. The NOAA updated forecast also predicts 13 to 19 named storms this year. But just because a storm is not technically classified "major", doesn't mean it can't do lots of damage. Last year, Hurricane Sandy,which made landfall on the Northeast U.S. Coast as a Category 2,  is evidence of that, Bell said. The storm caused hundreds of miles of flooding, killing 286 people and causing $68 billion in damage. NOAA Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook Update ...

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meteorologists announced yesterday that they expect as many as six major hurricanes during the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season. "This year, oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic basin are expected to produce more and stronger hurricanes,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “These conditions include weaker wind shear, warmer Atlantic waters and conducive winds patterns coming from Africa." Kathrn Sullivan, NOAA acting adminstrator said “As we saw first-hand with Sandy, it’s important to remember that tropical storm and hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline. Strong winds, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes often threaten inland areas far from where the storm first makes landfall.” Make sure you adequately prepare to take care of your family and pets in case a hurrican threatens....

Disaster Gear is expanding its offerings of the quailty prepared emergency meals offered by the Wise Company.  They are sponsoring Doomsday Preppers which is now appearing on the National Geographic Channel.  Whether you are interested in short or long term food supplies, Wise is an excellent choice. Find our current offerings in our online store.  ...

Roy Williams of the Birmingham News was kind enough to feature our site in the news and on AL.com this past week. Alabama tornadoes spurred online disaster supply store A big thank you to Roy - got lots of traffic from the publicity!...

The first Alabama Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday will be held July 6 through July 8, 2012.  Certain covered items will be exempted from the state sales and use tax during one weekend each year.  Items below that have a value of $60 or less per item are eligible: Batteries:  AAA-cell batteries, AA-cell batteries, C-cell batteries, D-cell batteries, 6-volt batteries, 9-volt batteries.  (NOTE:  coin batteries, automobile batteries, and boat batteries are not exempt.)  Cellular phone battery Cellular phone charger Portable self-powered or battery-powered radio, two-way radio, weather-band radio or NOAA weather radio Portable self-powered light source, including battery-powered flashlights, lanterns, or emergency glow sticks Tarpaulin, plastic sheeting, plastic drop cloths, and other flexible, waterproof sheeting Ground anchor system, such as bungee cords or rope, or tie-down kits Duct tape Plywood, window film or other materials specifically designed to protect window coverings Non-electric food storage cooler or water storage container Non-electric...

This past Saturday, Disaster Gear traveled to Tuscaloosa to view the riders participating in Bo Bikes Bama as they entered Tuscaloosa.  We donated an Oregon Scientific portable NOAA weather radio with SAME tecnology which was one of a number of items auctioned off to raise money for Tuscaloosa's tornado victims.  Bo Jackson's 300-mile bide ride across Alabama has raised more then $413,000 so far. ...

We are pleased to announce that we are now carrying the iMapWeather Radio app from Weather Decision Technologies.  At only $9.99, it is an extremely valuable addition to  your disaster kit. You can now receive warnings specific to your area with the iMapWeather Radio app, no matter where you are located! As National Weather Service alerts are issued for your device and saved locations, the phone will wake up and let you know. The app will make sure to deliver alerts to you no matter where you are without your having to stop and add a location.  You can save up to 5 additional locations to  help keep your friends and family safe. Unlike most alerting services, this app only alerts you if your device or saved locations fall inside a watch or warning box, thus eliminating false alarms....

During last April's tornado outbreak more than 300 people lost their lives.  One 8 year old boy put on a baseball helmet  just before the tornado struck and destroyed his home. He was sucked out of his house and carried more than 30 yards.  He was battered, bruised, and cut, but survived the storm with the helmet likely having saved his life. A study by the University of Alabama Birmingham confirmed that the majority of deaths were caused by head injuries and  resulted in the recommendation of the widespread adoption of helmets as an essential part of a disaster kit.  Any helmet designed to protect the head from blunt force trauma will be of significant benefit during a storm....

After many months of work, Moore Tech Solutions is pleased to announce the launch of Disaster Gear.  Disaster Gear provides information and products which can help you better prepare for a disaster such as a tornado, hurricane, or winter weather.  We are committed to having the highest quality products on our site and look forward to serving our customers and site visitors. Disaster Gear was prompted by the storms in Tuscaloosa in April of 2011 and the obvious need for a comprehensive resource for disaster information and supplies. On April 27, 2011 a devastating tornado swept through Tuscaloosa, AL. On April 28th the debris from the storm could be seen strewn across lots, yards, and fields 60 miles away. As my wife and I walked our morning walk the day after the storm, we retrieved a handful of personal documents from gutters, bushes and yards. We pulled out torn fragments of...