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Oak Ridge National Laboratories has done some serious studies on the effects of an EMP- both natural and man-made. Lots of good info here... but not really digestible for the uneducated:
For those of you without a technical background, I'll sum it up with the following:
*The power grid is quite vulnerable to EMP. But it isn't an end to society as we know it- that's ridiculous. It means crews all over the country will be working overtime to replace transformers. And newer equipment is ALREADY hardened to some extent (for solar flares if nothing else).
*Some vehicles will be disabled in the event of an EMP attack. Particularly if they're near the epicenter. But most won't be affected... or even if they are affected they will probably still run (though with relatively minor problems).
With Earth's magnetic field weakening at an alarming rate, we are becoming more vulnerable to solar flares. If a solar flare at Carrington event level hit earth when earth's field is at its lowest, the consequences could be disastrous.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shooting4life
If the government spent money on things that mattered they would be hardening the electrical grid to protect from this.
Thats called infrastructure and one party is blocking a lot of that preparation because it is seen as spending.
A remember a couple of years ago, right after Katrina. Some local politicians proposed baring power lines, it got wide support until it was deemed part of "agenda 21" by the far right.
thanks for the explaination...now all those shows I watched, they don't seem so far fetched...
what do you mean, hardened to EMP?
What happens when you take a magnet to a hard drive if the computer? It wipes the memory. An EMP wipes the memory of control nodes in cars rendering them inoperable. Computers are affected the same way. Anything controlled by electronics will stop working. Hardening those items is slang for shielding against an EMP.
What happens when you take a magnet to a hard drive if the computer? It wipes the memory. An EMP wipes the memory of control nodes in cars rendering them inoperable. Computers are affected the same way. Anything controlled by electronics will stop working. Hardening those items is slang for shielding against an EMP.
so are you talking about putting all electrical lines underground.....?
I've been saying this for years, and yet, the U.S. ignores the fact, that if they would start putting lines underground, we'd have a whole lot less power outages due to storms....
It's fiction, and it could be slightly exaggerated, but this will give you a bit of an idea of what could happen. If nothing else, it will make you think of things you probably haven't....such as people who need medicine...like diabetics, and there's no refrigeration...as one example:
EMP stand for 'electromagnetic pulse.' Basically it's a burt of energy that severely damages electronic equipment within it's range.
A natural EMP can only be formed from solar activity as far as I know. A man made one would most likely be caused by a a weapon. Nuclear weapons release an EMP upon detonation, though if a nuke goes of near you, the EMP is the least of your concerns. I believe there is experimental EMP bombs, but I don't know much about them.
Yeah, if you get hit by the emp of a nuke you may as well go outside and wait for the shockwave to put you to sleep forever, and that will be before the heat burns you to dust.
As far as a solar emp, the chances of the Earth getting hit by one of those are about as good as the chances of winning the Powerball back to back.
How much food and water do you have in your house ? How long will you last ? Are there any diabetics in your family ? How do you keep the insulin cool ? If you need to go to the store which hopefully might still be stocked, how are you going to get there ?
Most stores have 2-3 days worth of food, so when that is depleted what then ? Criminals that already take what they want, will want whatever you have, how are you going to stop that from happening ? After a few weeks when normal people are desperate to keep their families alive, and want what you have how are you going to stop that from happening ?
You have to think, in a full scale EMP disaster no modern motor or electronic device will work. Back up systems at hospitals, apartment buildings, hi rise buildings, your house (if you have one ) will not work. Trucks, cars, boats, ships , trains, and airplanes will not run. Not even all of the military vehicles are hardened to an EMP. Who is going to bring food, water , medicine, etc. to you if nothing works ?
I have read many books on the subject, some fiction some not and all seem to think society will break down extremely quick.
EMPs have a limited range. Given that, while the effects will be devastating, portable generators and replacement electronics, replacement computers could be shipped in to address emergency issues. I would think that hospitals, emergency services, and community centers would get help pretty swiftly. And unlike in a earthquake or hurricane situation, the infrastructure is intact. Roads would still be passable, buildings would be relatively undamaged. We are overwhelmingly dependent on electricity, and we constantly are using electrical systems, in our cars, in our homes, everywhere, but I think society is more resilient than many books make it out to be.
When I was living in Salem, Oregon, the capital city, we had a serious ice storm. Electricity in my home was sporadic for 3 days, it was pretty cold, my furnace didn't work, and my range was electric - some of the expensive neighborhoods in the hills were without electricity for over a week.
Following Ike, I was without power (from the grid) for nearly three weeks. I had 40 gallons of gas on hand, and that ran out after just the first week. Locating gas after that was a serious problem for the next three or four days.
This prompted me to convert my 6500 watt genny to natural gas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by greywar
In all seriousness it was the late 2000's reports about natural EMP from coronal mass ejections that caused me to start buying emergency food. Most threats are complete nonsense, or so unlikely....but this one? I think theres a 1 in 100 chance of me seeing one. Thats actually significant. And when you add in all the other possibilities, suddenly prepping a bit seems reasonable.
I'm a "moderate" prepper. I have about six months of food, water filtration devices, a couple of generators (one is stored in a metal housing that should act as a faraday cage), basic first aid stuff and other supplies. The financial costs to me were insignificant - the more bothersome part is the storage. I have it as insurance for something I hope doesn't happen and feel won't happen, but that is insurance. My concerns, that never keep me up at night, are an EMP event (solar) and a pandemic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by turkey-head
*The power grid is quite vulnerable to EMP. But it isn't an end to society as we know it- that's ridiculous. It means crews all over the country will be working overtime to replace transformers.
If you read the EMP commission report, they said it could take years to replace a significant amount of transformers.
You could have 50 mechanics on standby, but without parts they can't repair your car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PullMyFinger
As far as a solar emp, the chances of the Earth getting hit by one of those are about as good as the chances of winning the Powerball back to back.
Then I guess you no concerns about this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge
EMPs have a limited range. Given that, while the effects will be devastating, portable generators and replacement electronics, replacement computers could be shipped in to address emergency issues. I would think that hospitals, emergency services, and community centers would get help pretty swiftly. And unlike in a earthquake or hurricane situation, the infrastructure is intact. Roads would still be passable, buildings would be relatively undamaged. We are overwhelmingly dependent on electricity, and we constantly are using electrical systems, in our cars, in our homes, everywhere, but I think society is more resilient than many books make it out to be.
so are you talking about putting all electrical lines underground.....?
I've been saying this for years, and yet, the U.S. ignores the fact, that if they would start putting lines underground, we'd have a whole lot less power outages due to storms....
The railroad uses modern microwave radio control to their signal system upgraded to electro code 4,programmable crossing protection uses the 2 rails as wires for their electronic equipment for years thus retiring the pole line.
My gang installed talking hotbox detectors every 25 miles AEI systems for tracking loads old hat compared to what they can do now in the 12 years after I left.
Tesla's wireless transmission of power could be on the horizon ...
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