EMP & CME Are Serious Threats

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also sometimes called a transient electromagnetic disturbance, is a short burst of electromagnetic energy. These can be caused by natural or man-made events. It’s important to know the difference, since the results would be different and, therefore, survival considerations different as well.

Examples of natural EMP and CME

  • Lightning electromagnetic pulse (LEMP)
    • This would only be confined to the area of the strike. Other than a direct hit this would not normally present a threat to a preppers electronics.
  • Electrostatic discharge (ESD)
    • An ESD is a result of two charged objects coming into close proximity or even contact. This is static electricity.
  • Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), sometimes called CMP
    • This is an energy burst released by a solar storm on the surface of the sun.  hey occur frequently, although the majority misses the earth. However, the strength of them varies greatly and we have not been hit with a really strong one since the Carrington Event in 1859. Depending on its strength, a CME may or may not fry electronics.

Examples of manmade EMP that would affect us

  • Nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP)
    • This would be the result of a nuclear explosion. One variant of this is the high altitude nuclear EMP (HEMP). A one megaton nuclear explosion detonated 300 hundred miles above the center of the United States would take out the power grid in every state but Hawaii and Alaska.
  • Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP) weapons
    • These types of weapons are being developed by our government and others.

The big issue with both CME and EMP is these events may destroy the large power transformers in the power grid. This would render the grid useless. We don’t make nor store these large transformers here in the United States. Replacing them after an EMP/CME event would take a huge effort by the remainder of the world, including China. Some studies published by the US Government suggest that in the worst case event up to 90% of the population would be dead in one year.

One Second After by William Forstchen and Going Home by A. American are excellent, fictional depictions of life following an EMP. If you haven’t read one or both, they are recommended reading — probably should be required reading by Americans.

See also  It is Time to Review Your Earthquake Guidelines

Here are some articles that may help you prepare for EMP and CME:

Now I have attempted to find the best information on EMP and CME, and have found that few experts really agree on the effects. I think that the only ones who actually have a good idea of what could happen is the US military and they are not saying. So my suggestion is to protect your electronics as well as you can, but be prepared to function without them for some time.

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5 thoughts on “EMP & CME Are Serious Threats”

  1. I was unfamiliar with Circa and checked it out. The following might be of interest. I have bookmarked the site. Thanks for the link.

    A bit more history and background is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circa_News

    Circa News or more simply, Circa, is a news service founded in 2012, by Matt Galligan, Ben Huh, and Arsenio Santos,[2] that aimed “to pursue a more pure definition of news with truths divorced from conjecture, opinion or biased analysis.”[1][3] Circa news stories consisted of individual bits of information from different sources and viewpoints that were stitched together into a story that could be shifted around and changed easily as stories developed.[4] The service was accessible via a website and a mobile app. The service announced on June 24, 2015 that it would be shutting down due to financial reasons,[5] though it relaunched in Spring 2016 under the ownership of media company Sinclair Broadcast Group.[6]

    On November 22, 2015, a few former Circa employees were among those discovering that the circanews.com web domain was again active, stating a simple message that “Circa will be back soon…” A report by the Nieman Journalism Lab revealed that the domain name was registered one month earlier to Sinclair Broadcast Group.[18] Sinclair confirmed on December 7, 2015, that it had acquired Circa News, its intellectual property, and assets earlier in 2015, and aimed to relaunch Circa in the spring of 2016.[6] The acquisition fulfills a possibility Circa CEO Matt Galligan mentioned at Circa’s closure the previous June that the company could sell or white-label its technology to a news-producing company for use in its own apps.[18]

    Circa, which will be funded by Sinclair and other potential investors, will be led by John Solomon as chief creative officer. (Solomon was formerly vice-president of content & business development for the Washington Times.) Circa’s app and website will be redesigned but retain its “atomization” approach to delivering news.[19] The new Circa will also have “a heavy focus on short and long form video, optimized for mobile and social media engagement.” It will utilize original reporting from its own staff, user-generated content, and access to video feeds and reportage from Sinclair’s 172 owned-or-operated TV stations.[20][21] Sinclair also aims to “let the content to drive [Circa]” and not let it adhere to any set political or cultural viewpoint, citing Vice News and Breitbart as “partisan-driven” news sites the new Circa will not intentionally emulate.[21]

  2. I have read that microwaves act as faraday cages. Does anyone have further proof of this?

    I was thinking if stroing radios, nvg, and other electronic gear in one (unplugged and stored on a shelf) incase of emp.

  3. well if and when it happens a lot of people will come out of there houses and start talking to the people next door . that could be a good thing. people will start using bikes again. you wont get water. you wont get food. Drones wont work. banks will not give you your money. this could be a good thing bring the people together?

  4. Another good reference is National Geographic’s Electronic Armageddon, this was one of the most comprehensive and in-depth accountings of a Nuclear EMP and the aftermath.

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