What Would Happen if a Massive Solar Storm Hit the Earth?

Gizmodo ^ | 8/20/15 | Maddie Stone

[Kartographer]

It’s hard to overstate just how much this would uproot our lives. The lights would of course go out, as would the internet, and any device that draws current from the wall. In places with electronically-controlled municipal water supplies — like most modern cities — toilets and sewage treatment systems would stop working. Heating and air conditioning would fail. Perishable food and medication would be lost. ATMs would be useless. Gas pumps would go offline. And so forth.

GPS technology would also be knocked out. Said Grunman, “The GPS system depends on the very precise timing of a course of signals between two points, like a spacecraft and your phone. If you dump a bunch of energetic particles into the atmosphere, that effects your GPS. Which is sobering when you consider the replacement of old aircraft landing technology with GPS.”

[Paleo Pete]

I don’t think most people really realize just how bad it would actually be.

Most of us would have trouble living without our electrical toys. I’m not sure we can even imagine the overall impact, just like trying to imagine what the mentality was like in the days of Columbus, when everyone KNEW the earth was flat. We can’t really identify with that...we’ve known for hundreds of years it’s round. We can’t really know what the ambient mentality was, even those of us who remember the days before the computer was invented. Or more correctly, reduced in size to fit on a desk...

Same here, I don’t think we can really imagine what it would be like, even though we’ve all no doubt seen it on TV hundreds of times. Bonanza, Clint Eastwood movies, Gunsmoke...

And many people don’t really appreciate just how vicious and barbaric people can be when they face starvation. I read a book a while back about a plane crash in the Andes, the few who survived resorted to cannibalism in days just to survive. There was only one reason they didn’t start killing each other. Plenty bodies from the crash.

When the lights go out, any and all stores that carry any type of food will be looted in days, maybe even hours. Widespread rioting will be unstoppable. If the power goes out across the US, millions will die in the first week. Not from starvation, by violent small groups or gangs thinking they will gain control. Or just striking out against humanity in general. Police departments will probably be wiped out in no time, given the wide scale distrust of police in general these days.

All of the things we have come to depend on will stop working. Water, sewer, gas pumps, refrigerator and heating/AC, computer, cell phone, GPS, TV, radio, vehicles, everything that requires electricity. With no mass communications, you won’t even be able to find out how bad it is until a starving gang attacks your neighborhood.

If you survive the first month, you have a huge problem. Do you know how to hunt and fish? Grow a garden? Without chemical fertilizers and insecticides? (my garden has been organic for 30 years or more) Where will you get seeds to grow it? (I’m stocking up, many places have them on sale now) Make your own clothes? Tan animal hides? Carpenter? What do you do when your fishing line is old and deteriorates? Know how to make a net? Have twine to do it with? Plenty ammo? Know how to clean and oil that gun, and fishing reels? Oh yeah,...oil to do it with...

And what do you do in locations where wheat is difficult or impossible to grow, or you don’t have the room for several acres of it? No flour. Sugar? Salt? Eggs and milk? Know how to make soap? (no, I don’t)

Water...I have a shallow water well, I can just drop a 5 gallon bucket in, I’ve done it when a tornado hit and we had no power for 3 days. Also have a lake nearby, that can be made drinkable without a lot of trouble. Have a bow and arrows, need a few more arrows though, know how to use it, plenty game out here. Know how to skin almost anything.

I could go on, that’s just the beginning. I’m not sure just how many people wouldn’t know how to function without modern conveniences. I did it for 8 years, where we lived it would have cost us $450 per pole to put electricity in, a mile of poles meant we told the electric company to take a hike. For 8 years I used a kerosene lamp to read every night. We did have a propane refrigerator, that won’t be available this time...we grew a garden, late 70’s and we were already growing all organic, don’t like poisons, water was the biggie. Brought it in from town and filled a 55 gallon plastic barrel with a pipe and faucet going into the kitchen sink.

Here’s a good trick. Put a shower head in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. Simple quarter turn valve. Hang it on a pulley, so you can raise it and tie it off, heat water and 2 people can get a shower, and both can wash their hair. You learn pretty fast how to conserve that 5 gallons of water...I promise it works great, I used one for 8 or 10 years. Put the shower nozzle sticking out the side, not vertically out the bottom.

[sphinx]

So it is “just” the electrical grid that is at risk? Ok, the follow on question: if we knew for certain that we were about to be hit by a massive storm, would there be a way to limit the damage on an emergency, crash shutdown basis? The functional equivalent of a giant circuit breaker, I suppose — cut the power, and let the grid go dark. It’s a mess when that happens in a major blackout, but such things are survivable. Could you do it deliberately, and would it help?

[dynachrome]

“One Second After,”

I always have tears running down my face over those dam’ dogs. Even when I am just re-reading.

[dfwgator]

Dr. Peter Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor: What do you mean, “biblical”?
Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly.
Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave!
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

[Mad Dawgg]

A new threat? Ben has invoked the LIST...

It very well could be that "You have no chance to survive..." so "make your time."

For when the INTERNET goes down and quits working completely (Sorta like Congress only funner)

I've created a FRee Republic Emergency Ping list (as suggested by mitch5501 ) called:

The "The INTERNET isn't working" ping list:

IF you would like "ON' or "OFF the list FReep Mail me OR ping me in a thread with your request. This will not be a High Volume Ping list (Well at least we hope the INTERNET doesn't quit working frequently)

"So let it be written. So let it be done."

The List: mitch5501; Rocky; Pajamajan; Mad Dawgg; hoosiermama; SE Mom; null and void; BenLurkin; bigheadfred; redhead; berdie; Old Sarge; wyokostur; GeronL; TheOldLady; ducttape45; Gefn; IYellAtMyTV; Redcitizen; LonePalm; garandgal; Fiddlstix; bt_dooftlook; liberalh8ter; Mercier; Truth29; PA Engineer; citizen; bleach; Greetings_Puny_Humans; TangoLimaSierra; Chickensoup; rexiesmom; FourtySeven; RinaseaofDs; RikaStrom; ozarkgirl; Grimmy; Jet Jaguar; silverleaf; tcrlaf; Red Badger

[Red Badger]

The aliens will save us!................

[KGeorge]

Oh guilty. (got sidetracked)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks RFEngineer! NTSA ping.

join or quit view topics view or post blog bookmark post new topic subscribe

[KGeorge]

NVM. I did read it. Just not when I replied to you. The flare I was referring to is posted in Astro Alerts at Solar Terrestrial Dispatch. It was on 5 November 2003 & is on the upper third of the page.

[bgill]

Texas couldn’t keep the transformers from blowing up a few winters ago when they thought it would be a good idea to turn off people’s electricity to save a brown out. When they flipped the power back on BLAM! We were out from day break to nearly dark and then only got it back on by... well, lets just say they got out pronto after a certain phone call.

[Roos_Girl]

Is this map referring to the article talking about power companies rerouting around transformers during times of risk of CME? So for Florida and Texas there is enough capacity for rerouting and transformers wouldn’t have their copper core melted, assuming that the power companies rerouted in time? But other areas have too much demand to reroute and so some of their transmormers would be affected?

[RFEngineer]

“would there be a way to limit the damage on an emergency, crash shutdown basis? “

Yes, if you shut the grid down, there would be no damage.

That is one of the responses under consideration in case of an event.

I’m not trying to minimize it - it would have a huge impact - you can’t just shut a complicated system down and bring it back up on a whim - but it would be the difference between a few days vs. weeks/months before you had a normal grid back.

[Rebelbase]

“Solar storms at the Carrington level and stronger are not rare. When they hit the earth they affect the ground enough to leave evidence behind. “

I want to know more about this. Where should I look?

[Rebelbase]

A really bad solar flare will ruin your day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO_W7cMWBMg

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

God bless Texas!

[mumblypeg]

A grid down scenario is what concerns me most.
What I’ve noticed in reading comments here and on other sites is that people overwhelmingly worry about their electric appliances and electronic gadgets being unworkable, while glossing over the WATER and SEWAGE systems’ dependency on the grid.
Drinking water and hygiene are NUMBER ONE priorities, far more important than the internet or the dang air conditioner.
Folks, Kartographer has made this point repeatedly.
Are we paying attention? Are we preparing?
Do we have even a week’s supply of clean water for drinking, food prep, and bathing for each family member?
Have we played the “What If” game—as in, what if the disaster lasts longer than a week? Is there a water source nearby? Can I get to it, and will I be able to transport a supply of water back to my shelter? What dangers or obstacles lie between me and the water source? Am I likely to be attacked while driving or carrying water? What if my filled water containers are too heavy to carry on foot? Do I have containers in various sizes, and a wagon or wheelbarrow (or ghetto car—grocery buggy) to transport them?
Do I have enough bleach/cal hypo to sterilize a year’s supply of water, or fuel to boil it? Bathing in impure water is as dangerous as drinking it.
What if I run out of toilet paper, which then requires more water to be allocated for body hygiene, as well as for washing whatever clothing or cloths are soiled as a result of not having toilet paper?
Hurricane Katrina—electricity was out for months in some areas. My house was not underwater, but nothing was coming out the faucet because the electric pumps were down. I had to drive miles out of the way, around the flooded areas of New Orleans, all the way to Baton Rouge, several times, to buy water and gasoline, over the next several months. What if there’s no gasoline near enough to buy or siphon?
Could you still get to water?
People were rescued from rooftops a few days after the flood; they’d been surrounded by contaminated, undrinkable water. I saw them as they were brought into the Baton Rouge shelter, nearly dead from dehydration, and needing antibiotics for lacerations.
Someone I knew died weeks after Katrina from a bacterial infection, because his legs were cut up while swimming through debris and sewage-infested water. I remember there were fears of cholera. These things made an impression.

[BenLurkin]

Found these outside my door this morning

I wonder what it means?

[mumblypeg]

Ok, this would work how, if the internet is down?
(Put me on it.)

[Rebelbase]

Looks like some kind of code.

[mumblypeg]

Looks like the bunny with a pancake on its head. Only more ominous.