Protecting Your Self From EMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bikebreath]

OMG!

 

[K31]

OMG!

That's the new stealth, "!".

 

[SWTOR]

OMG!

 

[Half-cocked]

Like nuclear winter, EMP attacks are seriously delusional. I was standing on top of nuclear cratters out at Nevada Test site last month. I havent grown a 3rd hand or nut.

I nominate this for non-sequitur of the year.

 

[squirrels]

Get educated. 2 high altitude bursts fired from both coasts will do some real damage. All the house-sized electronic transfer station transformers could be fried. Long lead time to get them replaced. Guess where they are manufactured? CHINA!

Yeah...but then all the financial records are lost and all of their US debt becomes worthless.

 

[Lykaios]

I nominate this for non-sequitur of the year.

I like it's chances - GOT to be a front runner.

 

[RangerWillrett]

There is a book series called with the first book called "Dies the Fire" which IS a fantasy book that basically what would happen if the world would loose electrickery (misspelled on purpose) as well as guns and engines. Its a good read for anyone who likes survival and fantasy together.

 

[Oreo]

It seems to me that national scale EMP warfare would be akin to a scorched earth policy. Right up there with all-out nuclear war. That doesn't seem likely under any circumstance. The USA as a target is a resource to win the spoils of. No point destroying such a resource under any circumstance. Even religious extremism. Attackers would need those resources even more then we do.

 

[hole punch]

It seems to me that national scale EMP warfare would be akin to a scorched earth policy. Right up there with all-out nuclear war. That doesn't seem likely under any circumstance. The USA as a target is a resource to win the spoils of. No point destroying such a resource under any circumstance. Even religious extremism. Attackers would need those resources even more then we do.

i disagree. a major power if they decided to attack, would certainly benefit from empping us (did i just make up a new verb?)

 

[Inigoes]

It seems to me that national scale EMP warfare would be akin to a scorched earth policy. Right up there with all-out nuclear war. That doesn't seem likely under any circumstance. The USA as a target is a resource to win the spoils of. No point destroying such a resource under any circumstance. Even religious extremism. Attackers would need those resources even more then we do.

An EMP attack would leave the natural resources intact, it would only disrupt electronics and communications.

i disagree. a major power if they decided to attack, would certainly benefit from empping us (did i just make up a new verb?)

Sounds like something a chihuahua would do

 

[Half-cocked]

The USA as a target is a resource to win the spoils of. No point destroying such a resource under any circumstance. Even religious extremism. Attackers would need those resources even more then we do.

I know that not everyone reads the news, but have you ever heard of something called 9/11?

 

[Sirex]

I remember Congressman Roscoe Bartlettalking about the dangers of an EMP attack a long time ago. Really, all it takes is a very crude nuclear warhead, from say, a former Soviet republic, Pakistan, China, India attached to a short range missle hidden and shielded on an old freighter in international waters. Then they launch and scuttle the ship. Who do we retaliate against? At what level do we retaliate? True, most people won't die immediatly, but eventually those on medical support will, elderly will die without A/C, people will die without heat, or from fires started to generate heat. It's a very sketchy area. I'm not too worried though, I just coated the house with heavy lead paint.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Does an EMP take out your AimPoint or Eotech battery powered red dot gun sights?

 

[Srsanbo]

Read the book called "One Second After" It is about life after an EMP. We would go back to life as it was in the 1800's. It talks about how people delt with food, medicine, technology, firearms, etc. It was a quick read and very scary. I highly recommend this book!

Is it time to get on a first-name basis with the Amish folks at the market? Their lives won't change much, aside from not getting my money tax-free at their barbeque counter.

 

[Sirex]

Is it time to get on a first-name basis with the Amish folks at the market? Their lives won't change much, aside from not getting my money tax-free at their barbeque counter.

I think the Amish are actually behind the ploy to launch and EMP, or they have knowledge of a future solar eruption. Once we are all without our technology, they will have the upper hand to rule us, as we will be completely dependant on them. Those evil Amish. And their addictive pulled pork sandwiches.

 

[annihilation-time]

Does an EMP take out your AimPoint or Eotech battery powered red dot gun sights?

It did in Call of Duty.

 

[Lykaios]

I think the Amish are actually behind the ploy to launch and EMP, or they have knowledge of a future solar eruption. Once we are all without our technology, they will have the upper hand to rule us, as we will be completely dependant on them. Those evil Amish. And their addictive pulled pork sandwiches.

Whew!! I am glad we stumbled across their diabolical plot to take over the world while there is still time to save it....now paging Jack Ryan

It did in Call of Duty.

I was gonna make a smart-ass comment, but they do a fair amount of research and are amazingly accurate in at least some respects nowadays (speaking of video games in general). So does that count then?? I would think only something specially shielded would be safe.

 

[Kilroy]

If we use risk management protocol here, an EMP has an extremely low probability of happening, and a medium impact if it does.

For the probability of occurrence, consider the extreme difficulty in obtaining a nuclear missile, actually deciding to use it, and then the chance that it will get past the Air Force's and Army's missile defense systems. Also, the Air Force tracks any significant missile launch anywhere on the planet, they'd know exactly where it came from. You can bet bombs would be falling on that country within 24 hours, if not nukes within 30 minutes. Hitting the US with an EMP would be a really bad idea for any country.

As for the impact, the power grid would go down, some personal electronics would be affected, and some cars wouldn't work. I can survive just fine without electricity, although things would get bad after a couple days. I don't know how long things would be down for, that's the determining factor. A couple days, no big deal. A couple weeks, and you'd have to sleep by the front door with a shotgun, fighting off bands of looters. In Quebec in 1989, a solar storm (similar phenomenon) took down the grid for several hours. In fact, since Thursday we have been experiencing a strong solar storm with no ill effects. I give this a medium impact, because an EMP doesn't actually kill anybody.

For mitigation, the impact is high enough to not completely ignore this threat, but I don't think you can justify metal foil on the walls. Maybe have a backup plan, but preparations for other, more probable disasters should cover this one. Everyone should be prepared for a day or two of utility interruptions anyway.
That reminds me, I need to get a water filter and pocket stove...

 

[K31]

If we use risk management protocol here, an EMP has an extremely low probability of happening, and a medium impact if it does.

For the probability of occurrence, consider the extreme difficulty in obtaining a nuclear missile,

Hmmm, Russia, China, Great Britain, France, Pakistan, India, Israel, probably several former eastern block countries...

actually deciding to use it, and then the chance that it will get past the Air Force's and Army's missile defense systems.

The only one tested in combat had a reported 50% or higher failure rate against WWII technology ballistic missiles. These need only reach a high altitude above the US.
There's better stuff in development but it is not operational.

Also, the Air Force tracks any significant missile launch anywhere on the planet, they'd know exactly where it came from. You can bet bombs would be falling on that country within 24 hours, if not nukes within 30 minutes. Hitting the US with an EMP would be a really bad idea for any country.

Maybe but if this is a risk management exercise that really doesn't matter since the damage would be done. Nor does deterrence work for rouge nut jobs like North Korea or accidental launches such as almost occurred in the cold war.

As for the impact, the power grid would go down, some personal electronics would be affected, and some cars wouldn't work. I can survive just fine without electricity, although things would get bad after a couple days. I don't know how long things would be down for, that's the determining factor. A couple days, no big deal. A couple weeks, and you'd have to sleep by the front door with a shotgun, fighting off bands of looters. In Quebec in 1989, a solar storm (similar phenomenon) took down the grid for several hours.

Try many, many, months or years. As someone as already pointed out, loss of hundreds if not thousands of large transformers in the power grid could not be made up in days or weeks.

In fact, since Thursday we have been experiencing a strong solar storm with no ill effects.

Apples and watermelons. A truly large CME could have the same effect of EMP.

I give this a medium impact, because an EMP doesn't actually kill anybody.

Except people dependent on electricity for staying alive. People on life support, people using home oxygen generators, old or young people who cannot withstand hot and cold very well for starters.

Municipal water stations would stop pumping water in days. Very, very few people with wells have hand pumps and those only work for shallow wells. And that's just water, throw in the fact that gas stations won't be pumping gas so there'll be no food delivery, and the list goes on...

 

[MDFF2008]

I've read that the inside of a microwave is a Faraday cage.