Powerful Solar Storm Could Shut Down U.S. for Months

[boris]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! { BREATHE**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH{BREATHE** AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! and now back to your post!

[toreskha]

I suppose this is something we should all be prepared for, but am I the only one who senses that this is environmental extremist hyperbole?

Not necessarily. The Earth is like a fly sitting next to an 800-lb gorilla (the Sun). It might remain asleep and inactive for a while, which leads us to complacency. If it ever wakes up and so much as sneezes on us, that could spell big trouble.

The Sun is an extremely powerful and unimaginably massive ball of hot flaming plasma and boiling molten metal. It produces huge magnetic field lines - a single one dwarfs the Earth. A destructive solar storm that fries circuits and causes widespread damage is well within the realm of reasonable possibilities.

Might not be a bad idea to look at some homebrew magnetic shielding options for the near future.

[festus]

I refuse to worry about a problem we have NO CONTROL over.

[toreskha]

I refuse to worry about a problem we have NO CONTROL over.

We do have control over it, and measures taken to reduce risk from a solar flare will also work for an EMP attack, or the EMP from a distant nuclear attack. Batteries and flashlights can be stored in magnetically shielded containers, and non-electrical alternatives can be stored as well. The crank flashlights are becoming more popular lately, but candles and fuel may be more helpful when all the wires are fried.

Also, it might not be a bad idea to learn some basic electronics skills, as well as how to repair electrical cabling if it has been destroyed.

However, on the whole I have trouble believing that solar flares really happen with that much regularity, and no one noticed them before electrification. People have been using copper and aluminum for millennia. If intense electrical inductance were being transmitted through massive magnetic storms from the Sun every century, there would have been plenty of cases where people were handling copper pots or tools during a solar storm and managed to complete a circuit and severely electrocute themselves. This doesn't seem to be a commonly reported phenomenon in history.

[festus]

I still would not worry. Gardening and fish/game will provide enough food. My geographic region will provide a temperate climate. Training and other preps will make sure that we remain safe.

Make sure everything electrical has proper grounding and don't worry about it. Store a few essential electronic items in ESD bags, in sealed metal cans that are grounded. This will ensure you can do math in public. A spare ignition module for you BOV may be in order as well.

[toreskha]

I still would not worry. Gardening and fish/game will provide enough food. My geographic region will provide a temperate climate. Training and other preps will make sure that we remain safe.

Make sure everything electrical has proper grounding and don't worry about it. Store a few essential electronic items in ESD bags, in sealed metal cans that are grounded. This will ensure you can do math in public. A spare ignition module for you BOV may be in order as well.

Here's an interesting article that contains some information.