Frank
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Post by Frank on Feb 17, 2016 9:35:52 GMT 10
Repost from here: www.realworldsurvivor.com/2016/02/08/protect-yourself-from-emp/#emp-attack
Protect Yourself from an EMP Prepare for the massive destruction caused by EMPs. by Fred Mastison on Monday, February 8th at 10:00am
It is a warm summer day. The air conditioner is running and the television is providing background noise as you surf the web on your smartphone. Then, in an instant, everything stops. It grows eerily quiet as every electrical device in your home sits unresponsive. The idea of it just being a power outage is eliminated because your phone is as dead as the television. You walk outside to see if anyone else is experiencing the event as well, only to be greeted by all of your neighbors wondering the same thing. Then you see the unbelievable as aircraft begin falling out of the sky. Fires rise in the distance and you realize it is not a simple power outage. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) has been unleashed.
An EMP is a natural or manmade event where a powerful radio pulse is blanketed across a large area. The detonation of a nuclear weapon can generate such a pulse. These events can be a rarely occurring natural phenomenon as well. In 1859, such an event took place. A coronal mass ejection from the sun generated a natural EMP with catastrophic consequences. A geomagnetic superstorm called the Carrington event caused worldwide damage and fires in telegraph stations and other primitive electronics. Such an event today would be devastating.
Under Attack
Equally disturbing is the development of EMP weapons by nefarious countries with a desire to damage or even eliminate the United States. While this seems to be the plot line of a poorly written spy novel, it is painfully true. In May of 2015, a group of over 30 former high-level military, intelligence and national security policy makers and scientists requested that President Obama initiate an effort to harden critical civilian electrical grid infrastructure to withstand an EMP event. These would be the same protocols already used by the military to protect nuclear weapon sites around the country.
The letter was blunt and carried an urgent message. The United States as well as most of the Western world would see unthinkable devastation with the occurrence of an EMP event, called a “Black Swan” event in reference to an event that comes as a surprise and has a massive effect. In 2012, the National Intelligence Council, which represents the whole of the U.S. intelligence community, published a report saying that “an EMP is one of only eight Black Swan events that could change the course of global civilization by or before 2030.”
To answer the question of just what an EMP event would be like, we need only to review the findings of the U.S. EMP Commission in 2008. It estimated that “within 12 months of a nationwide blackout, up to 90 percent of the U.S. population could possibly perish from starvation, disease and societal breakdown.” This is based purely on our utter reliance on electricity and, more specifically, an electrical grid that has grown with the times but has not been hardened against attack.
These numbers seem unbelievable, but they are the unfortunate reality. We must take into mind several major factors. There would be no electricity for medical facilities, no power for water-purification systems and no electricity for heat during the winter. Some would quickly consider building fires or finding other ways to stay warm. This would work for some, but in a country of over 300 million people, the winters alone would kill hundreds of thousands of people.
Protect & Prevent
The question is, what can we do to prepare? As with any potential catastrophic event, preparation is important. Due to the scope of an EMP event, we can only focus on our immediate safety and survival. One of the dangers in an EMP event is electrical surges. During the Carrington event, several telegraph operators suffered electrocution and many fires erupted because of the pulse.
The use of surge protectors is a good way to help prevent these same dangers. While it would be hopeful that these would also protect your electronics, it is unlikely to be the case. The pulse would overload processors and circuits.
Immediately following an EMP event, there are several things you can do. First is to fill your bathtub with water. Purification systems will be down and clean water will be harder to find. In the same vein, plan on using any ice cubes as a source of water. Just like any other long-term prepping situation, you should plan on being without water for a very long time. Your refrigerator will obviously no longer be able to cool or freeze food. Open the door sparingly and consume any fresh food first. As time goes along, you should consume anything that thaws.
Make plans ahead of time regarding alternative power sources. A well-made generator can mean the difference between life and death. While many people in the prepping world look to solar or even wind power, an EMP event can destroy even these hopeful sources. The presence of microchips and diodes make them unlikely to survive an EMP. This along with a loadout similar to any serious disaster preparedness kit will serve you well.
Finally, you should consider your location. The lack of electricity will become much more than just an inconvenience if you are in an area near a nuclear power plant. These types of power plants not only generate electricity, but also rely on them to maintain the cooling pools and general safety functions.
While it would be irresponsible to project just what would occur, it stands to reason that the further away you are, the safer you will be. It is this final thought that brings home the dangers of an EMP. A brief flash in the sky or solar flare has the capacity to throw our world into a technological stone age. The best we can do is prepare.
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Post by graynomad on Feb 17, 2016 12:04:25 GMT 10
Does anyone here in Oz rate an EMP (not CME) as a threat?
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Post by Peter on Feb 17, 2016 13:11:05 GMT 10
Yes, but not a great threat. All that's needed is someone getting hold of a nuke but not knowing how to properly operate it, someone like North Korea trying to use it as a threat of nuclear war (but I doubt even Kim is silly enough to risk the consequences), or coordinated terrorist activity.
I'm more concerned about a dirty bomb - if someone gets some radioactive material but lacks the technology to make a nuclear warhead, they may use a conventional explosive to distribute this material.
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myrrph
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Post by myrrph on Feb 17, 2016 13:50:26 GMT 10
not sure about OZ, but I do. all my preps are in that general direction
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tyburn
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Post by tyburn on Feb 17, 2016 14:55:08 GMT 10
Then, in an instant, everything stops. It grows eerily quiet as every electrical device in your home sits unresponsive. The idea of it just being a power outage is eliminated because your phone is as dead as the television. You walk outside to see if anyone else is experiencing the event as well, only to be greeted by all of your neighbors wondering the same thing. Then you see the unbelievable as aircraft begin falling out of the sky. Fires rise in the distance and you realize it is not a simple power outage. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) has been unleashed. I wonder how many people would have any idea at all what had happened, especially if there are no planes falling out of the sky or other similar things that show its a devastating strike? I imagine many people would still figure it was just a big blackout, until their cars wouldn't start and they really started wondering wtf was happening. I also wonder about the point about "A well-made generator can mean the difference between life and death." If all electronics and electrical equipment have been fried, surely a generator wouldn't be working either? |
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Post by Peter on Feb 17, 2016 16:00:21 GMT 10
EDIT: THE BELOW IS APPARENTLY INCORRECT. PLEASE REFER TO MY LATER COMMENTS.
The issue of cars & planes is an interesting one: the metal bodies of these will often conduct the pulse around and away from the electrics within - in the same way that they keep occupants safe from lightning strike.
I read about some testing in which cars would stall when subjected to an EMP in a test chamber, but once the pulse stopped they would restart without problems.
I'll see if I can get the reference on these points and post. But as with all things, best to be over-prepared than unprepared.
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tyburn
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Post by tyburn on Feb 17, 2016 16:35:37 GMT 10
I read about some testing in which cars would stall when subjected to an EMP in a test chamber, but once the pulse stopped they would restart without problems. I remember seeing something similar about cars withstanding an EMP last year too. If its not possible, I wonder what was planned to protect all the military ordnance that was supposed to withstand a nuclear attack and associated EMP, and then be used for the fight thereafter. I guess thats what I was trying to get at in my other post -- if planes will be falling out of the sky and solar and wind power systems failing, why would a generator be OK? |
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Post by graynomad on Feb 18, 2016 7:28:00 GMT 10
Generators (well most of them) are very low tech, a bit like an old car. As with an old car I don't think there are many (or any) components that are vulnerable to such high-frequency energy. Although I might be wrong, HF is not my field.
From what I've read it may be worth keeping a few of the items that are more prone to damage, like the coil, in a Faraday cage.
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myrrph
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Post by myrrph on Feb 18, 2016 11:13:13 GMT 10
the wooden floor is key.
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Post by hansdahun on Feb 18, 2016 12:38:04 GMT 10
If it is not earthed or have an antenna in any way it is not likely to suffer from a EMP or Solar flare/CME.
Long enough conductor may generate enough voltage to short to earth and whatever is connected will fry.
Read up on electromagnetic theory and apply that theory correctly and you can understand yourself.
Every conductor will generate a potential but unless that potential can earth itself NOTHING HAPPENS electric wise.
Old telegraph was single line earth return, only one side of the circuit had a voltage generated in it so current flowed no worries.
A two wire telegraph line not earthed will not be effected unless the voltage generated is high enough to short to earth. SIMPLE.
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Post by Peter on Feb 18, 2016 13:32:59 GMT 10
EDIT: THE BELOW IS APPARENTLY INCORRECT. PLEASE REFER TO MY LATER COMMENTS.The issue of cars & planes is an interesting one: the metal bodies of these will often conduct the pulse around and away from the electrics within - in the same way that they keep occupants safe from lightning strike. I read about some testing in which cars would stall when subjected to an EMP in a test chamber, but once the pulse stopped they would restart without problems. I'll see if I can get the reference on these points and post. But as with all things, best to be over-prepared than unprepared. I've just checked up in a couple of books I have on the topic of EMP & CME; it appears there are quite a few variables at play. According to www.amazon.com/Disaster-Preparedness-Attacks-Storms-Expanded/dp/1478376651/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455765839&sr=8-1&keywords=emp+attacks+and+solar+storms (p49-51), an EMP would cause approximately 15 percent of ... trucks to experience engine stall, some with permanent damage. Approximately 70 percent of trucks would experience some type of anomaly". Also, "...an EMP attack (with field levels exceeding 25 kV/m) would cause approximately 10 percent of ... passenger vehicles on the road to lose power and stop. Additionally, approximately 65-70 percent would experience minor nuisances, such as dashboard malfunctions." The book then continues, mentioning the obvious - traffic accidents, congestion, and failure of traffic lights all adding to the mayhem. Sorry about the misinformation earlier. |
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myrrph
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Post by myrrph on Feb 18, 2016 18:50:10 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2017 20:09:33 GMT 10
I was reviewing my radiation fall out preps and were looking for that topic, when I stumbled onto this one. Having worked around high voltage switch yards for a good few years and studied power grid issues in relation to solar flares. What I know is that all metal conductors can act like an aerial and have induced in them some very high voltages. Solar flares tend to create high voltage dc over long lengths of power lines as they are generally a bombardment of protons being expelled from the sun, and with the MEN systems of earthing can cause a dc flow in transformer winding's that saturates the iron circuit of the transformer. An EMP from a weapon is likely to be similar to a high frequency radio wave burst, which could also come naturally from a nearby exploding star or the likes.
I keep my prep radio and electronics in a metal sealed tin inside a earthed metal garage, (Faraday cage inside a Faraday cage) likewise the car in the garage should survive an EMP but any car out in the open, would suffer electrical damage, as the un-sheilding caused by the windows would allow enough pulse to be induced into the wiring to blow all semi conductors in the cars electrics. As for generators being EMP robust, sorry but anything built after 1960 is likely to have semi conductors that would blow.
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Post by graynomad on May 28, 2017 6:17:28 GMT 10
Interesting article, especially the part about the Russian diesel genset.
My truck is a 71 model and there is definitely no electronics in that, but as he says things like the windings in the starter motor may fry. My solar system's inverter would as well I assume.
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Post by selfsufficient on May 28, 2017 10:43:01 GMT 10
I think CME would be a bigger issue in the Southern Hemisphere. Some Joint military targets in Oz would be likely targets but EMP would be to hap hazard for them, so direct strikes would be the option. These direct strikes would emmit small doses of EMP locally but would not effect items to far away. The CME is a far greater hazard and with the sun playing up the way it is, far more likely. A shipping container is quite leaky as a faraday cage, but better than nothing. Put continuous sheet metal underneath the floor, ensuring it is electrically continuous. Copper mesh over the air vents. Then you would need to place a copper mesh over the door hinges to provide electrical continuity over all edges, but it can be done. Good website for RF shielding with copper mesh www.twpinc.com/wire-mesh-material/copper/rfi-shielding-mesh |
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Post by graynomad on May 28, 2017 20:26:59 GMT 10
CME is certainly a country killer, but it will have no direct effect on our personal electronics.
I too think an EMP is unlikely in Oz, truth is I'm pretty much betting on it as I have no real protection.
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spatial
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Post by spatial on May 28, 2017 21:49:56 GMT 10
Some articles state that it would only take a few high altitude EMP nukes to take down the US power grid. Other articles that I have read state it would take multiple nukes in a coordinated attack.
If the Russians and Chinese get serious they could hit the main power producing areas in Australia and take down a large portion of the power grid. That alone could cause major chaos as food delivery etc stops and no refrigeration, riots break out and law and order is lost, basically the country destroys itself.
I think there is a risk mostly to the power grid and power plants. Your home personal electronics and vehicles not likely to be affected. Fuel delivery may stop so not long and cars are not running.
CME is a risk as the earth magnetic field is doing strange things, but the sun is at the peak of a very inactive cycle it is good and bad. Also there will be warning of a CME, solar and space activity is monitored constantly. it take a day or two to reach the earth so one can switch electronic off and prevent damage.
Just found this vid of a guy prepping for an EMP, the second half of the vid is more interesting when he attaches a kayak to his bicycle. Not the smartest guy but very genuine and a good sertup.
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spatial
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Post by spatial on May 28, 2017 21:54:13 GMT 10
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paranoia
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Post by paranoia on May 28, 2017 22:31:10 GMT 10
CME is certainly a country killer, but it will have no direct effect on our personal electronics. I too think an EMP is unlikely in Oz, truth is I'm pretty much betting on it as I have no real protection. I too take very little direct steps to counter an EMP.
This is not only due to how unlikely an EMP is but on its lack of an effect on survival if you're building your preps accordingly.
Lets just say a massive co-ordinated EMP attack takes out the entirety of electronics & cars in Australia. We all still have our food (most of it anyway), we all still have our water, we can still cook our food & we still have our guns. Those of us who have built sufficient libraries & have hobbies that aren't electronic will still have our entertainment.
For those of us living far enough out of the cities, I would argue it's actually one of the safer SHTF events people talk about because with cars taken out of the system our locations get even more secure.
You want to prep for an EMP? Make sure you've got plenty of liquid or wood fuel, keep up your food/water and spend time/holidays away from modern technology so your family doesn't loose their shit if you take them away from their phones/tablets/computers.
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grumble
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Post by grumble on May 29, 2017 9:36:42 GMT 10
On the subject of an EMP attack and I mean an EMP attack not a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun
Should there be an effective EMP attack against Australian assets and infrastructure this would be a state sponsored event possibly a pre invasion precursor or as the result of the usage of nuclear weapons then there are greater problems to be immediately concerned about then if your radio will still work
Every state actor knows the deployment of such a weapon would have immediate and very destructive repercussions for them so such usage would pretty much guaranty its balls to the wall all or nothing time and there is no longer any diplomatic channels open
every state actor also knows supplying such a weapon to 3rd parties directly or indirectly would still have massive and direct repercussions for their nation their economy and would most probably result in direct military action being taken against them
So my point is if some one deploys an effective high altitude EMP attack against Australia strong enough to knock out say 70% of our infrastructure then its most probably time to slip on some SPF5000000000000000000000000+ sun screen grab a cold one and make your peace
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