Let’s first take a look at the electromagnetic pulse. An electromagnetic pulse, or EMP for short, is a short burst of electromagnetic energy. These bursts of power can occur from natural or man-made events and can knock out the entire electrical grid and can temporarily or permanently knock out electronic equipment. Although there doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer as to whether or not he’ll disable his vehicle, with all the electronics on board vehicles today, he wouldn’t bet a dime that his would still be working. If he thinks it might be inconvenient to be without power but we’ll still be fine, think again. This would also have an incredible economic impact, and not just in the damage it would cause to industries. Consider this, over 90% of the world’s currency is digitized. In 2008, the EMP commission stated that if an attack were to occur, 90% of the US population would die within 12 months due to starvation, disease, and civil unrest.
Most people believe that an EMP would be delivered by some hostile foreign government in the form of a nuclear bomb. You may think this type of scenario is unlikely until you start digging into some pretty disturbing facts. In the early 1960s, the Soviet Union began EMP testing over Kazakhstan in the form of multi-altitude, multi-kiloton nuclear bombs known as K-3 or test 184. This gives the Russians a wealth of data and experience. Russia has the ability to deliver such a device in the form of a nuclear bomb, Scud missile, and a device the size of a small suitcase. In fact, Russia has already used tactical EMP warheads attached to mortars while fighting Chechen rebels.
In 2006 and again in 2009, North Korea tested a Russian-designed “Super-EMP” weapon. On December 12, 2012, North Korea launched a KSM-3 satellite that has an orbit that passes directly over the eastern half of the United States. The satellite is just the right size and weight for a small nuclear warhead.
In recent years, Iranian military documents describing EMP scenarios against the United States have been found, as well as a textbook supporting such attacks. This textbook also looks at 20 different places to launch such an attack in the US.
A coronal mass ejection or CME is a cloud of particles ejected from the sun’s surface during a solar flare that can create a magnetic storm on earth. When these charged particles collide with atoms in the earth’s upper atmosphere, we get aurora borealis, or aurora borealis. Although this can be a beautiful sight to behold, it has the potential to cause devastating effects here on earth. On September 1, 1859, astronomers Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson observed and recorded a massive solar flare. This created an aurora that could be seen as far south as Cuba and Honolulu and knocked out telegraph systems throughout Europe and North America. Some telegraph operators were even reported to have received shocks to their equipment due to CME. Today, we are daily dependent on much more sensitive equipment around the world than just telegraph wires. Almost everything we do is tied in some way to computers and the Internet.
How do we protect ourselves from these real threats when it seems like almost everything we do depends on the network and our electronic equipment? Although things would be very different surely there are some things we can do. An example of this is microgrids. Microgrids are basically small electricity distribution centers that collect power from various sources and may or may not be connected to the grid. They are essentially small power plants for small communities, large buildings, industrial plants, off-grid, and single-family homes. Generators that would be needed to produce power when other sources, such as solar panels or wind turbines, are not producing, can be protected. An inherent problem could be finding fuel for those generators. You would need to purchase EMP hardened solar panels or EMP arresters to protect your solar panels or wind turbines. EMP suppressors essentially work like a shield around an area. These units can absorb 90-95% of an incoming EMP wave.
A Faraday cage or Faraday shield is an enclosure or mesh of conductive material that blocks electric fields. While this may not prevent circuits in your home from being damaged, it will protect valuable electronics like cell phones, computers, tablets, or radios. These types of items can prove invaluable in a network down situation. It is a very good idea to keep as much useful information as possible on these devices. You should also include a way to load these things into your Faraday cage, if they’re dead they won’t be of much use. You can buy Faraday cages or you can make your own, they are fairly easy to build in just a few minutes using something like a metal trash can with a lid and some sort of insulating material. Compared to other options, this is probably the least expensive.
Some other things to consider when preparing for an EMP or CME event are things like water, food, and fuel. Most of the water that is delivered to your home is delivered via pumps, so there is no electricity, no pumps, no water. Make sure you have stored water and a way to replenish it. If you have your own well the same applies, you need to make sure you have a hand pump to get water from your well. Of course, you will need food, especially food that does not require refrigeration. Fuel is like water, it must be pumped from underground tanks into your vehicle. Without electricity, you won’t be able to fill your tank. If you can store fuel that would be ideal. If you choose to store fuel, be very careful to keep it away from any type of ignition source, it goes without saying that it can be extremely dangerous. You’ll also need to add a gas stabilizer if you’re going to store it for more than six months and you’ll need to rotate it at least once a year, if not more. As with anything else we do to prepare, there are many things to keep in mind.