A tornado that reached a strength rating of at least EF4 touched down in Moore, Oklahoma yesterday afternoon.  Initial reports are confirming several deceased, with many more injured (and widespread destruction).  Our thoughts are with anyone affected by this devastating storm.

Both the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are collecting donations that will directly benefit tornado disaster relief in Oklahoma.

For info on finding loved ones still missing, use Google Person Finder or Red Cross Safe and Well.

For info on tornado preparedness and what to do in the event of a tornado, check out Black Umbrella’s post from earlier in the month.

Tomorrow (May 18) marks the 33rd anniversary of Mount Saint Helen’s last massive eruption.  Much has been learned since the 1980 blast, which changed the paradigm for monitoring active volcanoes, particularly those next to large population centers.  Scientists now monitor multiple predictors for the possibility of an eruption.

For more info, check out the US Forest Service’s site.

A UC Berkeley computer app can predict when an earthquake will occur up to one minute in advance.  While that may not seem like a long time, a minute’s notice can “stop a train, pull over on the freeway, initiate shutdown at a power station, or stabilize a patient in surgery.” The system is already being used by BART, San Francisco’s underground train system.

Other algorithmic computer programs are being used to predict flash floods, mudslides and famine, with the potential to save many lives and a significant amount of post-disaster recovery funds.

However, as author Annalee Newitz notes, “It remains to be seen whether politicians and citizens will act on our newfound ability to predict future disaster. It’s possible that all our predictive models make us no better than the mythological character Cassandra, gifted with an ability to see the future, and cursed to live among people who never took her predictions seriously.

Black Umbrella doesn’t post too many gear reviews. As many preparedness experts have noted, gear is only as good as the knowledge you have to use it. However, we do provide our clients with a customized, comprehensive list of recommended Go Bag items (you can check out an itemized list of the Black Umbrella Go Bag Starter Kit on our website).

Flashlights are an important component of preparedness planning. At Black Umbrella, we always advocate in favor of preparing for high probability/low impact events...and a power outage is certainly one of the most common.

If you’re not a flashlight nerd like we are, you may not be aware of the advances in flashlight technology over the past few years. The days of the 3-foot, D-cell battery monsters are long gone; modern manufacturers are packing more lumens (brightness) than ever into palm-sized lights.

You can check out some of our brand recommendations from our blog post on National Flashlight Day, but the perennial Black Umbrella staff favorite is the Surefire E2D LED Defender. It’s marketed as a “self-defense” flashlight; the 200 lumen beam can blind an aggressor and the crenellated “Strike Bezel” can be used as an impact weapon.

While the self-defense options are a nice bonus, the bottom line is that this is a VERY bright, well-made flashlight that fits comfortably in a pocket or purse.

Also, this past week Surefire announced the latest upgrade to the E2D is now available.  Dubbed the Surefire E2D LED Defender Ultra, their newest light packs a whopping 500 lumens and is only slightly bigger than it’s predecessor.

We’re big fans well-made infographics here at Black Umbrella.  Since it is tornado season in parts of the United States, here’s a good one from the CDC on tornado preparedness.  You can find the original PDF here; check Ready.gov for additional tornado preparedness information.