EMP and SOLAR STORMS

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a short burst of electromagnetic energy that can cause severe damage to electronic equipment, automobiles and power grids among other things.  Like anything else that is particularly destructive, governments are experimenting and producing weapons that can generate an EMP and target it at other countries.  These weapons can have the effect of destroying the targeted power grids and equipment and virtually setting a civilization back to the 1800’s.  All communications can be disrupted, and such an attack will likely also target our ability to access our satellites. The result is pretty scary.  The general public may not even know the cause of the failure of our infrastructure, economy and power grid for some time because we would be cut off from all informational sources.

There is a lot of information behind the science of EMP’s on the internet, so I won’t go into how it works except to explain the possible effects and how to prepare for the eventuality.

EMP’s can be caused by a high-altitude detonation of a nuclear weapon or an EMP generator, but similar effects they can be caused by natural occurrences such as a solar storm or CME (coronial mass ejection).  This has happened in the past and it will surly happen again.  In 1859 a CME hit the earth’s atmosphere and caused telegraph systems all over Europe and North America to fail and in some cases, cause shocks and fires.  This occurrence is known as the Carrington Event and can be easily researched on the internet.  When this type of event happens again, it will have devasting consequences because of our dependence on electricity and technology. The most recent CME hit Canada in 1989 and left six million people without power for about nine hours.  However, the Canadian CME was not nearly as severe as the Carrington Event of 1859.

It is important to note that our understanding of the effects of an EMP are somewhat limited because we don’t have sufficient data to accurately predict which electronic devices, vehicles and equipment will be damaged.  However, the general consensus among scientist is that the US power grid is unprotected and that certain electronics in artmobiles, power generators and other devices could be damaged, but the extent is not precisely known. 

In the event that we are attacked by a nuclear detonation EMP or other type of EMP weapon, we can most likely expect eventual conventional warfare to follow.  It stands to reason that if we are attacked with such a weapon, it will be a prelude to an occupational force.  This, of course, is assuming that our military has not decimated the attacking force.  Either way, it’s a pretty grim scenario.

The reality is that we MAY be attacked with an EMP weapon, but we WILL eventually be hit by a CME.  If the CME is massive enough, it could take out the power grid for the entire world and take decades to be repaired.

Preparing for an EMP or CME:

Unless you are willing to move to a farm, keep livestock, have antique farm equipment and prepare to be self-sufficient in the fashion of the 1800’s or invest millions in a state-of-the-art facility with hardened bunkers and supplies to last a lifetime, you cannot adequately prepare for the worst of the EMP and CME scenarios.  But it is far more likely that there will be an event of lesser severity like the Canadian CME of 1989 that you can prepare for.  We are more likely to experience an event that is a little more localized and temporary than the worst-case scenario.

General preparedness is the best way to prepare for an eventual EMP or CME.  The more supplies you can store, the better.  You may want to consider starting a garden, to supplement your current diet, that can be easily expanded if needed.  Storing some heirloom seeds would be a good idea. You can always use them, even if there is no EMP or CME event. Another good practice is to unplug from all power and technology for just one day.  The experience will be a real eye opener.  You will quickly identify the areas you will need to improve. Sor example, you will almost immediately realize that you should store away some books and games to help occupy you on those long evenings without TV.  Or, you might realize that you will need an extended fuel source to provide heat and light.  There’s a lot you can learn from the internet and reading about what other people think you should do, but there is no substitute for experiencing it for yourself.