Of all the different survival scenarios we prepare for, an EMP or its naturally occurring cousin, the CME is probably the scariest. That’s because of the extent of the damage such an event would cause, taking out the electrical grid and much of the electronics we all depend on every day.
Nevertheless, there’s a lot of confusion about just exactly what will go down, should we ever be hit by an EMP.
Part of this confusion comes from the commonly held belief that an EMP will destroy all electronics. In turn, this idea has been pushed a lot by post-apocalyptic fiction and writings by less informed writers in the prepping and survival community.
To be fair to those writers, finding the truth about EMP and its effects can be a bit difficult, with so much poor information around. In many cases, they’re only repeating what they’ve seen, from sources they thought they could trust.
Nevertheless, they’re helping to perpetuate a false narrative; and one that could cause people some serious problems.
Related: EMP Myths and Facts. What’s BS and What’s True?
We have known about EMP since the Manhattan Project in World War II. The scientists working on that project measured it as part of the testing of the first atomic bomb. But at that time, EMP was of little concern because the electronics of the day were too both too primitive and too robust to be affected by it. The first real proof we had of EMP causing damage to electronics was from the Starfish Prime test in 1962. Even then, scientists were surprised by the results.
However, Starfish Prime didn’t bring all electronics to a stop, even though it had a rather extensive impact. Part of that was due to the technical level of the electronics in that time. The one thing that was taken totally off-line was a microwave relay station; which actually makes sense, as it was probably the most sophisticated electronics within the potential effective cone of the blast. In electronics, sophisticated equals susceptible to EMP, as it has the largest impact on the most delicate solid state electronics, especially computer chips.
There has been little further testing of EMP by nuclear explosion, although there are facilities which regularly perform EMP testing. So, while actual test results are still limited, they are not unknown. That gives us some very real data we can and should use for our own planning. Based on that, let’s look at some commonly held misconceptions that could be causing us problems in our planning.
EMP Will Stop All Cars with Computers in Them
Probably one of the most persistent ideas about an EMP is that all cars will simply stop working. The general idea makes sense, since pretty much all cars since the 1970s have been built with computers in them. While those early computers were only used to control the engine’s burn efficiency, pretty much everything in today’s cars is controlled in some way by computers.
But cars are one of those things that were tested by the EMP Commission. They used a wide variety of automobiles, mostly belonging to people working as part of the commission. Of the over 50 vehicles tested, only three stalled and all of those restarted. With that being the case, why do so many preppers believe their cars will instantly stop running and it won’t be possible to restart them?
That’s not to say that our cars will necessarily be usable. While the cars might still work, we’re going to quickly run out of gasoline. What gasoline does exist will not be readily available, as it will either be in underground tanks at the gas stations or in the huge tanks at the refineries. So the key is going to be having a way to pump that gas, so that we can get it into our vehicles to use; at least until it runs out.
EMP Will Fry all Computers
There are two different ways that EMP will fry electronics; either by direct absorption of the E1 and E2 pulses or by the massive surge in our power lines caused by the E3 pulse.
For computers connected and in operation, both of these are serious risks. All the wires we have interconnecting our computers to their various peripherals will absorb the E1 and E2 pulses. Then, milliseconds later, a massive surge will come through the power cord from the E3 pulse, destroying whatever is left.
But most of us have computers sitting in the closet or basement that aren’t connected; older models that aren’t in use. Those will probably survive.
Not only will they not have the connecting wires that will allow any of those pulses to reach the circuitry inside, but the case itself makes a pretty good Faraday Cage. We’ll need to get some power running, so that we can use those computers, but they will still likely to be functional.
EMP Will Stop Our Cell Phones from Working
Surprisingly, cell phones will probably continue to work, although you won’t be able to call anyone on them. The problem will be the cell phone network, which has antennas. Those antennas will most likely absorb some of the EMP, frying the electronics that run the system.
Related: How To Make A Tin Can Directional WiFi Antenna to Extend your Communication after an EMP
But that doesn’t mean your phone won’t still be useful. We all have a number of off-line apps we use, which are installed on our phones. Those will probably still work, because the phones are small enough that they won’t absorb much in the way of EMP.
On the other hand, if the phone is connected for charging, that wire might just be enough of an antenna to absorb the EMP necessary to fry the phone.
EMP Will Stop All Electronic Communications
One of the things that is protected from EMP is our nation’s communications, especially the telephone system. The automated phone switchboards which are the heart of this system are required by FCC regulation to be in a building that is shielded from EMP.
They are also required to have backup generators with tanks of fuel. The question then becomes whether those backup generators will start, which will all depend on how much electronic controls they have.
Of course, even if they do get the generators to run, their fuel supply will eventually run out. But there should be communications for at least a few days, allowing families to check on each other and emergency plans to be made.
Related: The Only Form of Communication After T-SHTF
EMP Will Destroy All Electric and Electronic Devices
This is probably the biggest lie going. EMP will destroy any and all solid-state electronics, especially if they are connected to antennas, other cables or your home’s power. But that doesn’t mean that it will destroy everything. When the first atomic bombs were tested, it didn’t destroy a thing.
There are a couple of major factors to consider here. First, not all electronic or electrical devices contain solid-state electronics. If you have a low-cost washer and dryer that uses a dial control, it will probably continue working, if you can come up with the electricity to run them, because there are no solid state electronics to be damaged. On the other hand, the newer models with the touch-screen controls will definitely stop working, as those touch-screens are connected to solid-state electronics.
Pretty much anything electronic which was built before the 1970s will still work, especially appliances and tube-type radios. It’s the newer stuff that’s going to have problems.
Another thing to consider is the antenna affect that I mentioned earlier. Electronics which are not connected to anything else, especially small electronics, are likely to survive.
Another thing to remember is that there are warehouses scattered across this country which contain electronic devices, boxed up and waiting for deliver to retailers or to customers. Most of those warehouses are metal buildings, making them near-perfect Faraday Cages. All those electronics should survive, even if the computers which hold the inventory lists don’t.
EMP Will Cause Airplanes to Fall Out of the Sky
Airplanes are one of the few things manufactured today, which are tested for EMP resilience as part of their design process. While there is some glass area in the cockpit, which could theoretically give the EMP access to the plane’s electronics, that doesn’t mean that all the electronics on the plane would cease to work. Even if some systems, went down, all commercial airplanes have redundancies built in. Pilots would most likely be able to land their airplanes safely, even if they couldn’t take off again.
Lightning strikes on airplanes are actually much more common than people realize. But like an EMP, the electricity from the lightning just works its way across the surface of the airplane, and then continues on towards the ground. For it to damage the airplane, it the plane would have to be grounded. That only happens when the plane is on the ground and connected to power there.
Related: What To Do If a Massive EMP Blast Fries The U.S. Electrical Grid?
That’s not to say that commercial airlines won’t have some serious problems to deal with. For one thing, the air traffic control system will likely be down, unless it is EMP shielded. I haven’t heard anything about it being shielded and there doesn’t seem to be anything online saying that it is.
There’s also a high probability that the radios they use, as well as navigational aids, such as ADFs and runway lights will be down. The pilots will have a challenge getting their planes on the ground safely, but they are all highly trained and should be able to get the job done.
EMP Will Bring Down All Utilities
Another area that is required by regulation to have generator backup is water treatment plants. So, while the electrical grid is the one thing most likely to be destroyed by the EMP, chances are that water and sewer will stay on for a few days, at least until they run out of power.
Natural gas produces their own electrical power from massive generators run by engines that burn natural gas. It’s questionable whether they will be operational after the EMP or not. I imagine some will and some won’t. Mostly, it will depend on whether the generators and controls are inside metal buildings or not.
It would seem to me that petroleum companies would prioritize getting whatever fuel they have to critical users, in the event of an EMP. But as of right now, I haven’t found any information stating that such plans are in place or how they would implement them. So, even if utilities do survive, expect that they won’t be lasting long.
EMP Will Destroy Solar Panels
One of the surprising things to survive EMP is also one of the most exposed; that’s solar panels. While solar panels will receive some damage from exposure to EMP, they will still retain 80 to 90 percent of their power production. Considering that solar panels are built with the assumption that they will never be operating at 100% efficiency, they should still produce enough power to be useful.
Even in a worst-case scenario, where the panels weren’t producing more than 12 volts at full sunlight, all that would have to be done to make those solar panels useful is to connect pairs of panels together in series, adding the voltage they produce. Normally, they are connected together in parallel, increasing the amount of current they produce. Making pairs in series and then connecting the pairs in parallel will cut the amount of current in half, but at least you’d have electricity.
Related: How to Build Your Own Solar Panels
A Faraday Cage Must be Solid, Uninterrupted Metal
There are a lot of false ideas about how to build Faraday Cages. To understand this correctly, we must understand how the case works. That is, it serves as a conductor for the EMP, attracting it like radio waves and allowing the EMP to flow across its surface. Once the EMP arrives at the other side, it will continue traveling on to ground.
Here’s the thing though; radio waves don’t need a solid metal surface to interrupt them. Take a look at a power pole with the wires strung on it. To radio waves, those three wires may as well be a solid wall. They can go over it and they can go under it; but they can’t go through it. So, making a Faraday Cage out of metal poultry cloth is just as effective as making it out of a galvanized trash can.
I’ve seen a few pictures lately online, showing a Faraday Cage made out of insulating foam for construction, with an aluminum skin on one side. The problem with those pictures, is that they made their cage with the aluminum skin on the inside, rather than on the outside. With it constructed that way, the metal conductor (the aluminum) can have direct contact with the electronic devices inside the cage. That negates their efforts; the devices inside must be insulated from the metal skin of the cage, in order for the Faraday Cage to do its job.
An EMP Will Render the Military Ineffective
There’s a lot of speculation about just what effect an EMP will have on the military and just how effective the military will be after such an attack. For obvious reasons, the military is very secretive about such information, not wanting it to get out.
Just let me say this; if there’s any part of the government which takes EMP seriously, it’s the military. Military aircraft designs are all tested for EMP resilience’ the same for many military vehicles and weapons systems. The Air Force has reopened Cheyenne Mountain, bringing the systems installed there up to date, because the facility is EMP proof.
On top of all that, our military forces are scattered around the globe. Even in a worst-case scenario, where the EMP took out a lot of our forces, we would still probably have one of the largest militaries in the world, just from the forces which are stationed overseas, outside of the area affected by the EMP.
A Nuclear Explosion Causing an EMP will be Invisible
While post-apocalyptic fiction always has the EMP take place with total invisibility, that’s not necessarily how things will go down if we are attacked by an EMP. A lot will depend on what time day the EMP takes place and what the cloud cover is like.
But assuming the attack is during low light, we should see something along the lines of the Northern Lights. While most people won’t recognize that for what it is, if it happens and the power goes out, it will most likely be an EMP.
You may also like:
Remove This From Your Stockpile Immediately
What To Do With All Your Frozen Food Once The Power Goes Out (Video)
If you had happened to read and post about this:
Soviet Test 184
by Jerry Emanuelson, B.S.E.E.
Futurescience, LLC
The 1962 Soviet Nuclear EMP Tests over Kazakhstan.
I’d take you seriously. Read it and rewrite your article please. It’s NOT recycled EMP myths and Curiosities it’s REAL WORLD DATA about the effects of BTW small OLDER style EMP Weaponry. They are far more Effective Today.
Exactly. The Russians tested extensively and the information from their testing is available.
The vehicle testing that the author writes of was done in 1982. He may not have noticed, but there were not very miniaturized circuit boards in 1982. Additionally, how many ‘82 cars are still on the road.?
Furthermore, the testing equipment used was low intensity compared to what is available and most likely would be used today.
A detailed report on EMP has been referenced at least three times on this list. Once by me. I have urged all followers of this list to access that EMP report and read it if you really desire to have a reasonable, fact based discussion of EMP results.
Lastly, the author completely ignores the installations the EMP will be aimed st, namely the transformer stations and long transmission lines. It won’t matter one whit if your mechanical washer will still run if the lines to your house are melted and the transformers in your neighborhood have exploded and the poles are burning. That topic has been discussed thoroughly by Consco who just happens to have spent a significant portion of his working life involved in industrial and commercial electrical work. In addition to his expert comments on the effect of a huge oversurge, several other followers of this list have added their expert comments, including one fellow whose job it was to replace burnt out transformers. Unfortunately, I cannot recall his name. It has been at least several months since this topic was discussed previously.
It won’t be that difficult to extract gas in storage tanks. That’s not the problem
Relying on public entities to have working generators is false reliance. During the Thomas Fire four years ago as I am writing this, the emergency generators the city doesn’t maintain but which were supposed to provide emergency power to pump water if the power went out had never been tested nor serviced in however many years they had been installed, probably since the Cuban missile crisis. Would you believe they wouldn’t turn over? No water to the hydrants and the fire department bugged out, leaving home owners to their own devices.
Relying on public utility companies and government to provide any kind of relief is a false premise. If you are counting on anything from those sources, be sure to save enough bullets for your whole family so you won’t have to watch them expire in a more ghastly manner.
I think these 2 guys are the same 2 that negative me.. haha
Great read and thank you for your time. I realize with my budget, I will be without a car. But I am learning the Emp solution for survival purposes.
Please know that myself and some silent others would like more of this information that you share.
LCC
You are a wealth of knowledge. Whether right or wrong, current or old, you impart that knowledge with the attempt to provide corresponding research. It is a shame that you received 2 thumbs down, so far, and I can only believe it is because of your final statement.
I can fully agree that when it comes to the government, they would rather have a nice office chair, new computer, fancy desk, or whatever, than spend money modernizing emergency systems to meet current needs. A generator from 30 years ago, even if it is still operational, may not be able to supply the electrical needs for all of this new fangled equipment. I think I would enjoy a surprise test of our country’s preparedness. Without warning, but highly planned, if our power were to go off for 36 hours, how would our local/state/federal government do in responding to a grid down situation? Once the data is obtained on failures, would those same entities repair or improve the necessary components? I don’t believe they would. They would be too busy pointing fingers instead.
As far as having “enough bullets for your whole family”? I have the bullets, but I don’t think I would have the heart. It is definitely a statement to contemplate. I have tried to prepare to make sure my family is ready for some aspects of SHTF, but as stated many times before, you cannot prepare for all contingencies.
Reading posts from other sites, people are disappointed that this will probably be our last “normal” holiday season. I don’t read fear in the posts, nor do I discern eager anticipation, but the posts are coming more frequently which should alarm most people. I am somewhat isolated in my area, but I do not see “normal” as I drive through town. Maybe the bigger towns/cities are making that last grand attempt to bring in as much holiday money as possible, or maybe the biden bucks flow more freely there, but the shopping genre doesn’t appear to have a clue about what’s on the horizon.
I hope you and yours remain safe this season, and as always, I look forward to your posts.
That auto test was repeated in 2004, using cars from 2002. All but one vehicle either continued to run or restarted. The article stated that the auto that wouldn’t restart right away, did so after minor repairs.
LCC also not noted is maybe I have a vehicle that does run….but can I keep it. That is the real question.
I am in the middle of fighting my last project and then retirement.
I would love just to sit and talk to you when that happens!
We would both learn a lot!
When we are planning on taking control of a city, depending on size and resources, one of the first goals was to shut down all utilities. This then forces the “redirection of energies” to survival, and self defense in shared time. Both take energy and are distracting from the other priority. Wears the opponent/s down more rapidly.
Anyone attacking America would do the same by one method or another, or just hack into them as they’ve already successfully tested, long ago.
To be on the safe side, I for one am not counting on anything with electronic components to work after an EMP. That way, I will not be disappointed, but may be pleasantly surprised.
Consco: post when you clock out for the last time and we can see how we can converse privately
Finally… An article that makes sense of what information that i have collected over the years and contradicts much of what has been published..
The main problem will always be FUEL… whether to run vehicles or generators… and you can bet that civil and military authorities are going to place immediate restrictions on who, what, and where, it will be available. (I know I would if I was in the response system, so be ready to shelter in place. For local traffic THINK BICYCLE. Those that served in the Vietnam conflict, esp, in the western reaches, will tell you just how much came down the trails on bikes.)
Water will be your main concern, followed by sewage disposal. Few communities can operate strictly on gravity. At some point well pumps and lift stations are going run out of power. (not my problem though as i have a septic system and a well (along with the tools to pull the pump from depth, and a bailer to recover the water.)
And so forth…..
According to Dr. Arthur Bradley, there is a significant difference between a lightening strike and the kind of electron flow from either an EMP or CME. I wish I had the electronics background to explain the differences. All I know is that having read about the way the two flow of electrons work from different sources, protection from a lightening bolt does not mean that you are protected from an EMP/CME electron flow.
Dr. Bradley wrote a terrific explanation on his website. I e-mailed him asking permission to copy his treatise and post it here. I thought it would be good advertising for his website. Apparently he didn’t share my marketing opinion as he didn’t respond. No answer is an answer in my world, so his treatise will remain on his website. I will see if I can find that. If I can, I will post the url for it so that you can read it for yourselves.
I wouldn’t spend a lot of time sweating over a motor vehicle. Even if you have one, it is my personal belief, unproven at this point, that an operating motor vehicle will draw so much unwanted, hostile attention that unless you have a reinforced Marine rifle platoon accompanying you, you will not retain possession of that motor vehicle very long. Obviously you are free to disagree with that and until the rubber meets the road, so to speak, either one or both of us could be right and wrong. If I had an older car, I would certainly make sure that I had spare electrical parts for it. As I don’t have such a vehicle, I am not losing any sleep fretting over that lack. Time for Plan B.
Thumbs down don’t bother me. Hell, if everybody on this list agreed with everything I write, surely there must be something seriously wrong. I try hard not to post crap but Babe Ruth struck out far more times than he hit a home run and I sure ain’t Babe Ruth.
But thanks to the folks who appreciate my struggles to be coherent and meaningful. Let us all hope and to those who believe in a Greater Power and prayer, pray for a better year in 2022 which will be here in just 15 days.
Rich mentioned air traffic control towers. I cannot speak for civilian built towers but I can address military ones. I will not mention the location but when a new tower was being built for a military installation just about 5 or so years ago, I was tasked to find and sell a specific type of copper mesh that was installed in each floor of the tower. If you were to gain access to the tower, you would not see the material that was installed. Without getting into specifics as to how this system was installed, I can tell you that I’m confident that the newer military air traffic control towers should survive an EMP.
I’ve heard or read somewhere that in the event of a CME that
there will be a short period before it arrives and the utility company’s can take steps to somewhat mitigate the damage.
Notice that I said “somewhat” not completely.
Has anyone else heard about this?
what you are talking about is a MASSIVE MASSIVE grid shutdown – totally unannounced – almost impossible to do safely – not even possible currently with a national grid which is civilian and segmented by companies & agencies ….
what you can do if a nuke attack is pending – a damaging CME event has been predicted >> go black out and pull your electric meter – limits the surge to the outside of the home and inside a metal conduit & box – just snapping off or pulling your fuse/circuit box mains might not be good enough ….
From what I gather following spaceweatherdotcom, solar storms emit from the sun at varying speeds. I get a warning when solar storms reach speeds over 600 km/second. I don’t know the distance from the sun to earth off the top of my head, but you could look it up and divide that distance in km by 600/60 to get the number of km per minute which will give you a rough estimate of how long you have before the EMP strikes your area. You also have to have the time it left the sun’s surface and take into consideration where it was in relation to locations on earth then figure how far you are from where on earth the eruption was noted — my mind is already clouding over. There probably is some mathematician following this list who can do the math in his or her head and tell us at 600 km/sec which apparently is the magic number how long it takes a CME to reach earth.
The real question is whether political wonks will disseminate such information to their citizens or will see fit to just “ride it out” while making sure that they and their families head out to undisclosed secure locations.
I am not a betting man, but if I were, I would put my money on not hearing a word from the bureaucrats and the politicians until the transformers on your block suddenly start to explode. Even then, they might be too busy saving their own asses to bother communicating anything to the peons. It likely will be from private sources like spaceweatherdotcom that we will receive any advance notice of impending shutdown. If I get such a notification from spaceweather, don’t count on me to do a Paul Revere. I will be too busy filling water jugs and disconnecting everything electric in the house. Not so much to save the fridge from frying but to keep it from bursting into flames if the current jumps the main breaker to the house.
the ground maintenance (trucks and mover equipiment ) is not built to withstand a emp or anything like that. Aircraft sure but the ground movers not at all. Hell we have a hard enough time keeping them running as it is. You can thank Oshkosh defense for terrible work and designs.
Not that it matters much you won’t have a National guard or military to really call upon if a massive EMP or any event took out something like the power grid. Not that our military is anything of great value or something to honor anymore.
Not that our military is anything of great value or something to honor anymore.. WOW. Go f**k yourself.
I have seen may posts on the EMP problems. But I have not seen anyone talk about ammo. On a box of primers it states that they can be set off by static electricty. An EMP from an atomic bomb even it is a long way off will have more power than static electric could provide. So loaded guns will fire a round in the chamber and that will do a lot of damage, and those in the mags will go off and cause lots of damage. The largest damage will be the million of closets that have ammo in them. They will catch your house on fire. That is about 1 in 5 homes in the U.S. If you take an military ammo can and line it with card board so the ammo does not touch the metal, this should survive an EMP. For more protection you could place it in a alum tool box that has 1/2 inch of Styrofoam on the bottom and sides and when you close the lid, use alum tape to seal gap and handles. This will give you the best protection you can get. Good luck in your prep.
yeah i don’t think that’s going to happen. might make a nice jim cobb scare tactic for suburbnite wives but its not likely
Dave think a moment about what you said. Static Electricity firing off primers and thus ammo in firearms-boxes etc.
Don’t you THINK maybe IF that had ANY BASIS in Truth the MANY Times each winter you get shocked from static electricity that MIGHT Cause the “Incident” you posted? Even a RARE event under millions of yearly sparking events X a near infinite amount of ammo in the world etc. = NO SUCH EVENT.
You really don’t need that warning on your cup of coffee about it being hot, Right?
Think it’s NOT Illegal YET.
BTW for the record as one who has read the soviet tests, NO ammo primers DON’T fire off randomly during EMP events. Be at Peace About that.
Also, BTW for the record If I don’t Know anything about a subject, I don’t post my 2nd hand opinions about it. If I am curious about it BEFORE I post, I use this nice computer to do some RESEARCH about it before I post. Just saying.
seriously doubt the primer deal – but back in the heyday of nuke prepping – many kept a primer cap with a long cord strung in a tree outside their bedroom >>> an EMP would supposedly set it off and it would be a last hope warning of the incoming nuke event consequences …..
the trouble with all that old EMP data – the Russians and possibly the Chinese have upgraded their EMP producing nuke arsenal since those old Cold War days …
when NORAD moved back into Cheyanne Mountain after their short “the war is over” hiatus – they had to upgrade the entire protection grid because of the advances – the older EMP grid was obsolete ….
with the Ruskies going after military grade electronics – I wouldn’t be counting on half measure Faraday cages and chicken wire enclosures for EMP protection – it could be sooooo damn intense it could fry solder …..
True and its highly unlikey they will use a emp…. Why not just collaspe the us economy and crash everything else
Properly constructed, chicken wire or hardware cloth makes an excellent Faraday cage. Just don’t have outside wiring come inside the Faraday cage.
good luck guy – unless you have some OVERWHELMING love of chicken wire – I’d follow the experts that advise the military & civilian markets and get a solid metal box and prep for the worse >>> I get to laugh at the preppers that didn’t prep hard enough & deep enough for pandemics – they weren’t likely to happen either
I think your information is useful. People who are serious about using the faraday effect in their preparations would do well to study up on how it works. You missed an important aspect about faraday cages that most people who attempt to write on the topis and that is that for the faraday cage to work – it must be grounded to earth. Why? You need to ask how it works and that is that when the magentic pulse crosses over it’s surface, the metal of the cage interacts with the changing magnetic flux (field) to induce small eddy currents of electricity within the metal itself. The cage becomes charged as it eliminates the magnetic field/flux and thus protects it’s contents from having to do the same (and the destruction of the electronics). The electrical current in the eddies very quickly (within microseconds) become saturated – this happens before the magnetic pulse completely moves past the cage, thus, if the cage is not grounded, the cage loses it’s viabiity and ceases to become a cage. It doesn’t matter how large or small the cage is, either. A small cage saturates just as quickly as a large cage does, so the grounding is critical. A ground, in this case, is simply an electrical conduit that passes the induced electricity to a limitless receptor, the earth itself.
The reason the contents have to be insulated from the cage is to protect the contents from electrical currents induced in the cage. It’s that simple. A plastic case likely will protect something on the inside but it’s easy to add more insulation to ensure that electricity cannot pass from the cage to the contents.
Mass contained within the cage definitely makes a difference in the performance of the cage as well as the proximity of the cage to the source of the pulse. If you’re hundreds of miles from the source, perhaps an aluminum skin on a cardboard box might work. But in any case, a buried steel box made of 1/2″ thick steel will work better than an aluminum coated box.
If you can, a shipping container that’s grounded would likely make a good cage – and you can park your car inside it as well. Putting other grounded cages within the container would add protection as well.
Cracks, seams and little holes in the cage do make a big difference in it’s performance – a solid metal cage WILL work better than one made of chicken wire (it’s the mass-issue working here, again).
For people with enough luck, having what you want to protect deep inside an undergound mine will likely have the best chance as magetism on the scale of an EMP or CME will not pass through the earth itself all that well and be absorbed by the earth effectively.
EMP = electromagnetic pulse (a large magentic field moving away from the source through the air
CME = coronal mass ejection (an ejection of plasma from the sun in the direction away from the CME site on the suns surface and, in the instance of the point of this article, directly towards the Earth)
Sorry Hugh, I need to question your information. Please post your qualifications and sources for your thesis you posted.
I’m not going to post a thesis in response. But as an example, Chicken Wire has no real effect on the EMP effect. A much closer weave is used and more often than not they simply use solid conductive materials like sheet steel.
The chicken wire reference is to the article itself, 8th paragraph from the end where it is said that poultry cloth (chicken wire) makes as good a cage as a metal trash can. I’m not a rocket scientist, I’m an engineer. If you dont like my comment, ignore it.
I dont particularly agree with using chicken wire either. I said that.
Frankly, I dont care if you believe me or not. I know what I’ve said is true and correct – ignore it if you dont think I’m not qualified to say so. In reality, what I think you should do is what i suggested at the start of my thesis – study the faraday effect yourself and understand how the physics work. You’ll find that what i’ve said is correct.
In the future, I recommend you not first look to the qualifications and references of what you’re reading, but look to the practicability and science of what’s being said. People can know a lot about a lot of things without having a college degree or governmental certification.
Hugh if your Reference is the Article, it’s self about Chicken Wire stopping EMP then good luck.
I know more than a few retired engineers, two are in my Mutual Assistance Group (MAG) and they are quite qualified in my humble opinion to speak against Chicken Wire being useful for anything much more than keeping chickens from escaping.
A few minutes internet research could bring you into those technically dense papers that speak very much to Faraday cages instead of repeating what the Author spoke of in HIS own Article. As an ENGINEER yourself such papers should not be hard to parse through.
Post your references for your thesis.
Articles are interesting and generate interesting replies.
For this senior citizen on social security there are limits to preps. But I can draw water manually from the second well on my property. I’ve been adding long term edibles and seasonal seeds to the preps. I garden every year already and can and sun dry food. I’ve collected hand tools to cover most basic needs. I’ve rebuilt 2 treadle sewing machines. I have cloth, leather, thread ect. I have solar power here but am prepared to to live with less.
I can feed a few rabbits, chickens, and ducks from resources here. Preparing to live about as basic as I can figure out. I’ve added wild edibles and medicinals to the property. I’ve taken up my childhood archery, and simple rabbit stick .methods, practiced simple bird traps until they again seem easy. Squrrels and Prairie dogs are common here. Not hard to trap. Tasty additions to soup and stews. I’m still planning to add more wild tea and seasonings. My prickly pear fence along one side of the property is slowly taking shape. Fruit and pads all edible and it requires zero care.
My preps are low cost and low to no maintaiance. A full on garden will take a lot of my time but putting rain catchment high enough for gravity flow will help. Planting fruit trees, bushes, and vines near low areas decreases the need to water artificially.
My place looks ok but poor. But the truth is it is quite productive. “Weeds” are a planned major resource here on the high mountain desert.
I would like to make some general replies; but as a “non-expert in everything”, as stupid as that sounds to the ear.
First, regarding the burning telegraph lines witnessed across USA+EU–that makes sense to me, because the most common steel used was probably “carbon steel” (a very firm, hard steel with a higher concentration of carbon than stainless steel (that as best as I recall was not invented yet). So, under intense CME energy the carbon particles probably vaporized and then ignited under the same energy field causing the appearance of fire moving across the telegraph line. This makes sense to me. Fire because it was carbon steel; if it was not carbon steel probably the line would have melted with no fire being seen.
Secondly, I doubt very much that the earliest telegraph lines were grounded along the way. I think that early developers of telegraph line had a fear that grounding would cause “electrical noise” that might interfere with “hearing and receiving” the electrical signal at the destination end. So, with no ground the heat-power would continue down the electrical line with no dissipation that a ground wire and rod in the earth would have provided. That is my guess-hunch.
Third, Per the major all-across-USA Housing Code (there are local codes in various places that may differ), for a number of years not only was “grounding” a building a requirement, so was “bonding”. Bonding is the grounding an individual appliance to a ground (such as a drain pipe that goes to ground). So bonding is a grounding, but not directly to earth; and instead to a pipe or metal that goes to the earth. Right now my washing machine (plugged into 240 volt outlet) is bonded to a steel drain pipe (the house was built in 1939); so is my dryer; so is my water heater (and thank God for that because when they explode, they tend (I’ve seen it on video) to take-off like a rocket through multiple floors of a home and thru the roof, and about 100-feet in the air above the house before they land on top of the house (hopefully, so that I don’t get sued by my neighbor and what my water heater landing on his roof could cost me)–so having a faulty electrical heating appliance could build up pressures causing a bomb-like explosion in the home. Other appliances must be bonded also.
Fourth, a dirty-rotten misunderstanding exists (like in me when younger and most untrained homeowners about “grounding”). When I was young and much more stupid than I am today, I thought “any dirt” was “good enough dirt” so long as you follow CODE procedures. That info is not so accurate, in old homes built under different codes. Electricity does not travel “oh so easily, nor so far” in dry dirt as it does in wet or damp dirt. One of the best things about most thunderstorms is that most often the rain comes first that wets the ground, then the lightening that loves to kiss wet ground. But it doesn’t always happen that way! Electricity does not move as easily, quickly, nor as far in super-dry ground. My home required one 6-foot length of one-inch-diameter buried solid brass bar (but that was when the primary electrical purpose was only lighting (my house’s furnace was coal-fired; the original stove may have been the same). Now, newer homes are so charged with electrical power for everything, such that “the old Code standard of six-foot long brass bar (1-inch in diameter) in the ground gives no confidence of comfort to the Building Code.” This ought to be something to think about when considering “chicken wire” for its suitability as a bond or ground for an intense EMP in a home! There is a difference between a 1-inch diameter brass ground rod in dirt and chicken wire as a fence not connected to dirt–if it were to take a direct hit–(and EMP + CME are considered “direct hits” over miles X ? of geographical area). To me the issue is “electrical resistance” (if the energy is too high, it burns, melts, explodes whatever it touches). The newer Codes today ground homes with the rebar in the homes foundation (such as under foundation walls, and/or the rebar inside the slab for slab foundations that rest on ground; and some also require the vertical brass bars, like mine (but now at least two, one on each side of the home, if not more than two). Why? It is to dissipate electrical energy instantly over a broad ground area so that “electrical charges” inside the home at any one place are weak enough to avoid “frying” electrical components; and it is also because every body has neighborhood “dry spells” and electrical energy moves slower in dry (or dryer) ground. I know people who dug their old carbon-steel bed springs into the ground to increase the metallic presence in the soil for grounding electrical surges (and that was a good idea–more in ground metal area in the ground. Others buried their old 1930s/40s vehicles for the same reason. But steel rusts and it is not a long-term solution.
So, to me, all of this pertains to CME’s and EMPs in this way. The more electrical surface area “in the ground” (and especially when the ground is damp) the better to dissipate electrical energy faster that “takes heat and power load off of home components (and may spare them from failure). Resistance builds up heat, and high power electrical wants to be grounded without building up tremendous resistance pressures. So, will chicken wire ground “warhead EMP’s well? Like commenters have said, “Maybe; maybe it depends on how far away the EMP is from “my house”. Can chicken wire transport electricity? Yes, it can. Is it the best “in-ground” material? Nope! Building codes want something thicker, stronger, more durable; and less resistant to electrical energy transfer.
Further, EMPs are relatively “cheap”. You can shoot one off at 250 miles altitude today, and do another tomorrow, when people who still have electricity think they are safe. But the thing is that every EMP is going to weaken SOMETHING that it hits, even if if is just wiring connections. So a second one can finish the job, so to speak.
Lastly, (and me too–I have a trash can ready to go)–but is it bonded by a thick wire to a drain pipe (?), so that when it takes a “direct EMP energy hit” through the house, will there be a way for the surge to instantly travel to ground and bypass, if possible, melting the electrical connections? Again, bonding grounds to a pipe or wire that leads to ground-zero metallic object in the ground–and such as a 1-inch thick solid brass pipe in the ground (or a better plan)? My source of information: InterNACHI, InterNational Association of Certified Home Inspectors, that last time I looked offered free information on home matters. BuildingScience.com also offers lots of home science knowledge to the public at large; and I regularly visit it for review of moisture intrusion in homes, air+moisture intrusion, etc.
Reliable electricians and plumbers will tell you to properly ground your home, and if it is an older one you may be advised to add “grounding in the ground”. Plumbers will tell you to tie a metallic wire (bare wire in my house) from appliance to an item of metal that grounds to the ground (it is connected to plumbing or wiring that goes to the ground bar in the ground).
The experts that I read said, that the military (and other) SHIELDING of electrical components HELPS A LOT, but bonding and grounding ALSO HELP A LOT.
I bet right now, some home-owner bought a new washing machine (no matter who installed it), but the “bond wire” was not attached to a drain pipe. If the washer’s electrical system “goes hot”, without a bond to a drain pipe, whoever touches the washer can get fried. Yes, there are electrical outlet devices that can sense power fluctuations that turn off power to a device; and there are heat sensors that can do the same. But, it gets complicated; and it can vary where one outlet can take only 1 form of protection, but not too (last time I looked). Let the professionals help with electrical safety issues, electricians for grounding, plumbers for bonding, CODES for “best solutions”. Amen.
The ignorance here is astounding. You are wrong. So wrong. Do you even know how to do a simple Google search and read? A Faraday cage does NOT have to be grounded in or to work. It also does NOT need to be solid. Holes need to be smaller than the frequency of the wave. For a high altitude nuclear explosion, that would be 100mhz and up. Look it up. Do some actual research before spouting your nonsensical c**p.
You ought at least go to the futurescience emp info section and see if it challenges any of your thinking. For instance, one unexpected effect seen in the Soviet tests was damaging charges accumulating in underground conductors. And I know from contracting experience the charge from lightning hitting the ground can spread out and damage underground wiring.
A mistaken assumption in the article itself is that natural gas producers generate their own electricity. We know from the great Texas snowstorm of last winter that natural gas availability is totally dependent on power from the electric companies. That dang snowstorm killed twice as many people as the Kentucky tornadoes, by the way. The 3 power grids are big, complex systems. In Texas one failure led to another until cascading failures led to the grid managers executing a planned shutdown of most of the generating system. At the time that was done the engineers said the system was within one or tow minutes of a catastrophic collapse that would’ve required several months to repair. Whatever else a HEMP damages it seems certain to collapse the country’s electric system
Clergylady,
I have a limited budget also and when I have spent money on preps or just putting “things by”, I have made many costly mistakes. I have found that I am not as good at a lot of things as I imagined I was. Through practical experience, I am finding what plants or produce can be hauled off by gophers, attacked by insects, contract a fungus, get cooked by the sun or blown over in a good wind. I also have found that the maintenance that each piece of equipment needs, is taking me a bit to learn too. During my working years, I hired handymen or had other professionals do things for me.
My message is that, for everyone to find the time to actually physically do the things that are speculated about. I had a very demanding job during the last few years of my working life so I had zero time to test out any of my prepping ideas.
You have done such a good job of actually physically doing what needs to be done and have learned along the way what will be helpful versus what makes for a nice magazine article.
Many blessings for being kind enough to share your experience.
All I can say is I would not take anything the “EMP Commission” did seriously. They had to stop increasing the EMP strength when it started damaging the cars because they did not have the funds to make major repairs. This was also decades ago and as has been stated weapons are more sophisticated and powerful now.
One other thing that does need mentioned is that EMP’s will be strongest directly under the detonation and weaker the farther away you get. Now, how are you going to bet? Are you going to be close or far from the center? The best bet is to be prepared for the worst.
Also grounding of Faraday cages is NOT necessary and if done improperly can actually increase the effect of the EMP. It is better for the amateur DIY’er to NOT ground their Faraday cage. Putting it on a concrete or dirt floor in the lowest part of your building is best for amateur DIY’ers.
Will do..
An EMP in a Coronal Mass ejection from the Sun will burn the electronics to smithereens. Imagine an EMP 1000 times stronger than what we could produce. Bye! Bye!
Ah yes, the repeat of someone’s internet “experience”.
Prove your point, Show your Work.
I’m adult enough to admit it if your able to prove your point.
Thinking isn’t Illegal Yet.
CME is something we actually have little data on. Much conjecture but less data.
Here is a snip of recent CME events including the famous set the telegraphs ablaze event.
When large CMEs impact the Earth’s magnetosphere, it can cause issues with anything electrical. This has happened in the past:
In 1859, a CME impacted the earth and caused telegraphs to short out, causing fires in the US and Europe.
In 1972, a “solar flare” knocked out long distance phone communication in some states.
In 1989, another CME knocked out the power to an entire Canadian province, leaving six million people without electricity for nine hours.
According to NASA, the flare disrupted electric power transmission from the Hydro Québec generating station and even melted some power transformers in New Jersey.
Experts say that the 1859 impact was 3 times stronger than the one in 1989.
July 14, 2000 – an X5 solar flare caused some satellites to short-circuit and led to some radio blackouts.
On Oct. 28, 2003, the sun released an X45 strength flare that overpowered the spacecraft monitoring it.
Dec. 5, 2006, an X9 flare disrupted satellite-to-ground communications and Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation signals for about 10 minutes,” according to a NASA.
Can it be a massively destructive event? Probably. End of the World as your Breathless Posting I’m replying too? Probably Not.
Personally, I am more worried about somebody smacking the USA with a series of EMP weapon strikes. We KNOW how effective they were BACK in 1962 with small nuclear weapons being used for EMP testing on a LIVE Soviet City several times rebuilding it to test again and again. Today the probability is far STRONGER EMP Weapons able to be deployed. 1 second after is pretty much on point with Soviet test data (maybe because HE READ the Reports?).
Given how poorly a lot of folks act out when the EBT cards malfunction or mass blackouts occur I suspect country wide blackouts will get Sporty as in The PURGE sporty pretty soon.
ummm doubt it
I have read several technical articles on this site that were not just poorly informed, but totally incorrect.
On the other hand, a lot of basic information contained in articles on this site are very useful and well informed and researched.
This article is so wrong, in so many obvious ways, that for the editors to print it is absolutely inexcusable and unforgiveable.
I am therefore cancelling my subscription to this site and informing my other prepper friends of my decision. There are several alternative prepper sites that are much better edited for accuracy and truth, especially on techichal subjects.
keep crusading guy – if you think this submitted article and comments are bad >>> you obviously haven’t made the complete prepper blog circuit – plenty of johnny come lately bloggers to the currently HOT prepper topic >>> OMG is damn common
I read an interesting quote the other day that went something like this:
I don’t know what weapons will be used in WW3, but WW4 will be fought with sticks and stones.
I believe that quote is from Albert Einstein but if that is the million dollar question, call another expert.
The elephant in the room is energy. The US government used gold sheets to shield equipment during nuclear tests. This expensive measure left contaminated equipment functioning after testing only to be buried as waste. Weaponized EMP devices use a very high energy directional pulse. Why gold sheets instead of cheeper lead? Thermal energy. Gold doesn’t melt at lower temperatures as lead does. Ionized particle plasma generated by nuclear devices accompanied by the EMP destroyed equipment. Shielded equipment survived better…the amount of energy determined the level of destruction. Our enemies our developing a one shot one kill attack. The nutron bomb of the late 70’s was also a one shot device. Energy is the linchpin. Thy saving your community. Spend your time wisely, your wealth can’t save you your neighbors can. The future belongs to children. Give them a future by building a better community. A community worth defending!
Great article and comments!!
QUESTION
If I understand the two forms of radiation,
ionizing and non-ionizing…
– Infrared, Microwave, EMF radio waves, and EMP are non-ionizing radiation;
– UV rays, X-rays, and nuclear fallout causes “ionizing” radiation that disrupts electrons.
Water (H20) does not block the visible light spectrum from Violet to Red and every color frequency in between.
BUT…it does block ALL non-ionizing radiation, including Infrared, Microwave,and the EMP,
AND it blocks most ionizing radiation including UV rays and Neutron radiation (one exception is Gamma radiation).
So I am assumuing storing electronics is a water proof container, anchored to the bottom of a swimming pool,
or at the bottom of a Bugout pond would protect the electronics from an EMP.
Just curious if there are any physics experts out there that might confirm the answer to that?
An interesting thought Johnny Quest. BUT your statement about water blocking EMP is a jump.
Just because water blocks some things, (BTW My Microwave Heats Water so I am not sure you can claim water is blocking microwave?) does not mean other forms of energy are also so blocked.
EMP as I understand it is an electrical Surge and I am quite sure water transmits electricity to some degree with pure distilled water the least.
But an interesting idea. Would probably be easier to store your items in a well-made faraday cage as true LONG-TERM waterproofing is a tricky thing.
Good points…Thank you for the response.
I am not a physics engineer or have much knowledge in the engineering side of physics, but what I understood is the microwaves (which are very close to infrared on the spectrum) are absorbed by water and food which causes the water, food, etc to be heated. The spinning tray in the microwave helps to evenly heat the food. So if a water barrier was in place would any of the microwaves go through…not sure about that. Need to do more research.
But that is not really my question…I would like to know if an EMP can penetrate say 10 feet of water…the depth of a swimming pool on the deep end.
> The electrical energy being conducted by water definitely creates a problem.
I am sure some military folks that deal with submarine technology have tested the EMP water penetration theory and knows the classified answer.
A Faraday cage is definitely my 1st choice.
here we go again, another article about EMP with questionable information and the back and forth over what works, what doesn’t, who knows more than others, and so on.
The most sensible and best advice are the posts from those who stated they do what they can within their means to become more self-reliant, and to actually physically practice what they post so they become proficient at the skills needed.
Learn, practice, then live it.
so far based upon the actual physical testing that I personally performed, I have only found one method using common inexpensive “found in my own home” materials that worked to block my cell phone from receiving a signal that theoretically might actually work as a DIY Faraday Cage. The only way to really know will be to open it up after an EMP / CMP and see if the things inside still function.
First, what did NOT block cell phone signals reaching my cell phone are:
1) inside the refrigerator, freezer, microwave, a gun safe, an ammo can, and a metal garbage can. Be advised I did use cardboard to insulate my phone from touching anything else, but I not take any additional steps to seal these up such as using metallic ducting tape around the doors or lids. None blocked cell phone signals.
What actually DID block cell phone signals reaching my cell phone was using clean snack tins with tight fitting lids, using cardboard to insulate my phone from touching any of the metal while inside the tins, and I did not use any metallic ducting tape or anything else to seal the lids – just pushed them on until snug. I called my phone while in the closed tin, it did not ring, then I double checked by taking the lid off, dialed again and my cell phone received signal and rang, then I put the lid back on, dialed again, and the signal was blocked again. Costs: whatever the cost for the snacks (popcorn, cookies, etc.) that came packaged in the tin, usually about $5 to $10. The cardboard I used was from boxes that would have otherwise been composted or gone to recycling so are considered free.
Keeping it practical, honest, and functional by personally conducting my own testing when I can.
DZ: Thank you for your valuable post regarding hands-on, practical, real-life testing. This is the sort of information that makes list so valuable. The nonsense article itself written by a commercial author who gets paid for his drivel is valuable too for its worthlessness. It starts the discussion.
Now for some more common sense info regarding whether water conducts electricity. You must not have paid attention when your Grandma told you not to touch electric switches when your hands were wet. There was a reason for that sage advice.
Remember the Boy Scout admonition about what to do in an electrical storm if outside? The one that was usually at the top of the list was if you were swimming or out on a body of water was to get out of or off the water as soon as humanly possible. Two reasons for that advice. One is if you are sticking up out of a flat surface you will draw lightening. The other and just as serious of a reason is because water conducts electricity very nicely and a lightening strike anywhere on the water in any body of water except for, perhaps the other end of one of the Great Lakes in this country, will fry you.
I am most certainly not a newquelar fixzisist by any stretch of the imagination, but it is my understanding that the magic of the microwave is because the wave length emitted by our magic heating devices is because those waves excite the water molecules in almost everything and they begin to vibrate. The motion of the water molecules creates heat which is imparted to the surrounding material. Those little babies really get to shaking when they are excited. It may have to do with their electron conductivity — remember get out of the swimming pool? Don’t work on a hot electrical appliance when standing in water?
With regard to CMEs a little discussed but very real sequella of the CME was that they distorted railroad tracks which had to be repaired after the CME. The railroad tracks conducted the super surge of electrons, heated and distorted the tracks. Thinking about it, I suspect that the tracks thus distorted, if they were mechanically straightened and placed back in service may have suffered earlier than usual failure. Thinking why one must be careful when grinding steel not to heat it too much or the temper of the steel will change.
I have now posted just about every bit of metallurgy, fizziest and microwave technology in my data bank, so I will close by wishing all a Joyful Christas and a better New Year.
LCC, I did not mention anything about water as a EMP barrier, so I hope you did not mean to imply that I had said Yea or Nay to water. Personally, I would not trust or depend on water as a barrier, and I was taught that it is the microparticles in water such as minerals that actually conduct electricity in water, the more “contaminants”, the more conductivity, but pure water with no “contaminants” does not conduct electricity very well if at all. I do not know if this conductivity through water also applies to magnetic energy, but again, I would not trust water as an EMP barrier. I’m not sure about concrete / dirt as a barrier either. The real question I ask about prepping for an EMP is: How much cost and effort are you willing to expend on unknown methods in your attempt to safeguard and preserve electronic devices and data from EMP?
LCC,
In the 1980’s, I was driving through southern central British Columbia on a very hot day. I think it was close to 120 F. I saw railroad workers out there working diligently on the railroad tracks, trying to straighten them. What I was told was that the heat had expanded the metal thus creating curves in the track. The workers were trying to straighten the curves. I don’t know how successful they were, as the day was still super hot. I would imagine that this wasn’t the first time that this happened so your thought about the metal previously going through distortion is valid.
Mentioned are atomic emp’s but what about a solar emp such as the Carrington Event of 1859? I think it more likely than atomic. There were storms in 1989 and 2012 we narrowly escaped.
As I write this a G-1 category solar storm is raging in Earth’s magnetic field. Of the three categories of solar storm that I know about G,M and X, G is the mildest. X is the most significant.
This G-1 storm is the result of an M1.2 CME that was detected at 00:51 UTC on Dec 17, which used to be called Greenwich Mean Time. Your phone can tell you what time that was in your time zone. I received the notice of the G-1 storm at 14:36 PST.
I will let you figure out how long it took for the solar emission to reach your little patch of earth. It was 5th grade math when I was in school although now it may be first year college math.
I get regular e-mails from space weather dot com because I paid for their notification service. This past week there was a continuous string of solar eruptions on the southern surface of the sun stretching for 350,000 km across the sun. The figure is the one they provided. That was the next day after NASA announced that their solar explorer had reached the sun, passing through the outer layer of a portion of the sun.
Coincidence? I have not a clue. I certainly think it prudent for the NASA folks to seriously consider probes of the sun. I know they think that the probes are so diminimis compared to the sun that they have zero effect on it. They have no proof of that posit. Trust the science they say. I do trust the science. It’s the scientists who scare me. This is the same group of people who absolutely believed the sun rotated around Earth which was flat as a pancake. They are also the group who poo-pooed the idea of bacteria causing disease. They are also the group who heartily recommended bleeding a feverish patient to let the bad “humor” out.
Yeah, trust the science but question the heck out of the ”scientists.”
Agree: “trust the science but question the heck out of the” scientists.” which also applies to our current over-rated and propagandized “pandemic” that has definitely been manipulated and used as a politically engineered “crisis” for expanding power and control, as well as allowing private pharma to reap massive profits with government promoted distribution of ineffective genetic therapy drugs that are not vaccines, and all at taxpayers’ expense.
That’s right, millions, MILLIONS! of DOCTORS, NURSES, and SCIENTISTS are all in on one big conspiracy to lie to us all about the MILLIONS of SICK, HOSPITALIZED, and DEAD from Covid. Screw you and anyone else stupid enough to believe the garbage you spew. Except for the damage that people like you do to the healthcare industry and society in general, most of the rest of us wouldn’t care if none of you ever got vaxxed. It’s called Darwinism. Your exit will raise the median IQ of the surviving population.
Vaccines do nothing but make you sick, and the UK and 3 other countries just said so.
Bandit, you’re just flat out WRONG about Covid. I have several Registered Nurses in my family, including my daughter, and two Pharmacists, and they all agree Covid-19 is a very prolific flu virus that has been entirely overblown and used as a propagandized “crisis” in order for some specifically selected pharmaceutical companies and Government insiders to reap massive profits, and is also used as a political machination to gain and secure more power over the “sheeple” through Mandates that do absolutely nothing to hinder COVID. The fake “vaccines” that are actually genetic therapy mRNA manipulators do not prevent infection or spreading of COVID, and often cause harm by the overdose of “spike proteins” that trigger the immune system into massive overdrive, often causing damaging internal inflammation of the organs, and nerve damage. The reason most of the medical organizations are going along is they are getting financial benefits for promoting false reports and statistics, and practitioners are ostracized, censored, fired, and have their licenses revoked if they protest against the blatant lies and cover up being promoted by a slew of Government agencies and supported by a lot of the lame-stream media. Do some real research, talk to people who are vaccinated and yet still got COVID, some even after getting bogus “boosters”.
So with all this said it basically contradicts everything ask a prepper has stated in the past ?. What a joke and waste of reading! Time to unsubscribe from this site and find a more informative one!
“George”
Sometimes the Prepping for “bad scenarios” has very little actual proof to support a particular strategy. If somebody has engineered tests and has published confirmed facts, it would be good for all of us to know about it, to see it. Please let the rest of us know if you know of such a site.
Unfortunately, we must make guess-timates on many things.
Regarding EMP radiation, if I understand the science, it is a “non-ionizing radiation”, thus it may intensely excite electrons, heating them up and thus “fry” the electronics.
But I understand it will not overly impact the electrons of the genetic material of living creatures. However I assume it will burn you if you are holding on to a conductor and you are the “ground” for it. Wearing rubber shoes might help…or not.
Yes…obviously distilled, fresh, or salt water will act as a conductor…but how deep?
One site suggested hydrogen atoms in H2O will stop all radiation (both ionizing and non-ionizing) after 10 feet. It also stated the powerful photon energy of a Gamma radiation burst was the only radiation that required 10 feet of water. How would they know this?
The consensus is “lead” panels would be best to block Gamma wave energy, and it is not a particulate matter “fallout” like Alpha and Beta.
A bunker surrounded by dirt, concrete, and lead panels…that is what science says would most likely work. But unless you are in your bunker, you will very likely be radiated by a Gamma burst. Distance is the only other factor, as in many miles from the center of the burst.
We only know what we know…a hypothesis does not prove anything.
Do your homework and prep the best way you think will work for you.
OUTSTANDING INFORMATION AND WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your understanding of science is awful, ie. An EMP is caused by a gamma ray burst. That IS IONIZING RADIATION. No scientific site says ten feet of water will stop all radiation. That is flat out false, and more than that, is an absolutely RIDICULOUS statement. You somehow think gamma radiation doesn’t overly impact genetic material?? Where the hell did you get that crap?? Also, an EMP is NOT an electrical pulse! It INDUCES electric current in metal wire. Therefore, water does NOT conduct EMP. An EMP is NOT lightening. Can’t anyone besides LCC read something technical?
Bandit, an EMP is not Gamma radiation, it’s a Electro Magnetic Pulse. A nuclear explosion will put out Alpha, Beta, and Gamma radiations, as well as an Electro Magnetic Pulse.
Hi everyone i see all the great comments about EMP , we dont hear anything about CME look at the 3 last Rockets they all lost there pay loads due to increasing electromagnetic fields and other Sun related current events , has anyone have any info on what is needed to protect vehicles or electronics from strong CME
thanks everyone
Karl,
For all intents and purposes CME and EMP are regarded as the same thing, and preps for both are the same.
ah ok , i did not know that , thanks for the reply
So just like all things that man is involved with let’s bitch, moan, call names and attack each other over dumb crap. Just read the article. If you don’t agree just say so…no necessity to make these types of comments.
Put your eggs in a pan. Let the current cook ’em. Eat your breakfast and consider everything lost. Then go out and inventory…anything that lights off, restarts etc. put in the asset side and MOVE ‘TF’ ON.
Stop picking shit. Don’t we have enough of that already?
Question: Should we ground our cars?