White House Preparing For Catastrophic Solar Flares

Newser ^ | 10/30/15 | Michael Harthorne

[Roos_Girl]

If a giant solar flare hit the Earth, it could knock out the entire power grid, meaning no more new Taylor Swift singles, no more televised presidential debates, and no more Facebook photos of babies. But it wouldn't be all good news. The Washington Postreports the elecromagnetic pulse—or EMP—created by such an event could wipe out electricity for months on end, creating a global catastrophe. That's why the White House released its National Space Weather Strategy on Thursday. According to the Houston Chronicle, the multiagency plan details how the US will prepare for—and deal with—a massive EMP from space. The six-step plan requires government agencies, schools, the media, the insurance industry, nonprofits, and more to work together. In other words: We might be doomed.

[Roos_Girl]

I guess it's good the government is at least talking about this, appears to have a plan. Just looks like a lot of talking to me though; wasting time and money.

[Roos_Girl]

Ping

[Caipirabob]

So this is what they'll blame the black outs on? Got it.

Sounds like obama's planning to hang around a while.

[butlerweave]

Every stupid thing except their job

[rktman]

Solar flares are obviously due to glow-bull discombobulation. Or was it differentiation. In any case, humans must have caused somehow. Lucky for us we’re protected by an enhanced power grid. Uh, we didn’t fix that? Dang it! Check the to do list.

[catfish1957]

meaning no more new Taylor Swift singles

Can we get a solar flare just bad enough to make this happen?

[laplata]

Talk is cheap. They are doing nothing to “harden” the power grid.

[stormer]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859

[john drake]

I’d a thought the White Hut was preparing for the coming revolution, as the peasantry finally rises up to take back their freedoms. Maybe I’m dreaming.

[butlerweave]

They have a plan if a comet hits or a super volcano goes off and blocks the Sun for 10 years , cut down all the trees and grow mushrooms on the wood pulp ,but they said nothing about where the Oxygen would come from with all plants dying

[hoagy62]

Anyone remember the big hole in the ground they were doing construction on near the White House? They wouldn’t tell us what that was for.

Could it be?

(Aw, dang....ran out of aluminum foil for my hat.)

[ALASKA]

The more likely threat comes from our enemies, not the sun. It is fairly cheap to guard against EMP. I hope our government is finally doing something about it......

[garyb]

The preparation for solar flare is the same as the preparation for a lightning strike.... or an EMP.

Just sayin’

[G Larry]

Uh...NO!

They are NOT “preparing”.

If they were they would incentivizing the manufacture of transformers and other key, long-lead parts for power stations.

By the way, NUCLEAR power plants would be the easiest to protect against EMPs. For some odd reason, they’re already pretty well shielded......

[Caipirabob]

It all just makes you shake your head. Small wonder many of us have become such cynics.

[mountainlion]

Deep underground bunkers is the answer they have, hundreds of them.

[Paladin2]

They aren’t preparing by funding more Muslim outreach?

[meatloaf]

Their plan is likely triage. Parts of the country will be left in primitive at best conditions. Others needed for continuity of government may get some consideration.

What is known but being ignored is when the main transformers at power stations are fried there are no ready replacements. There's only one facility that builds them in North America and that's in Canada.

Transformers of that size are built only when ordered. They are not stockpiled. Figure at least a year to build one. Now figure how long it will take to build possibly hundreds. Parts of this country will be without power for much longer than a few months.

The transformers are normally moved by rail due to the size. The schnabel cars that are used for transport are few and far between.

Add that fuel for transport, especially the large quantities needed for railroad use, is going to limited at best.

It adds up to a death knell for much of our society.

The photo below shows a schnabel car with a transformer.

[aomagrat]

Great. Now obama’s got the sun pissed at us too.

[hecticskeptic]

Deep underground bunkers is the answer they have, hundreds of them.

Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Hmmmm.... sounds like there will be no place to hide on planet earth. Best to have your hope in things above....