You have to look hard to separate the hype from reality on this issue. Here’s a good article by a Harvard astrophysicist.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1549/1
I’ve read several other reliable articles.
Now, don’t get me wrong- an EMP detonated over the northeast might be devastating to our economy. But how devastating really depend on how the large power station transformers survive. Like I said, they survived ok in Hawaii and Kazhakstan, and (unlike computers) the basic transformer technology hasn’t changed that much since the 60s.
I think it’s likely that a whole bunch of computers would get fried in the affected area, but you can send in new computers pretty rapidly. It’s the power station transformers which will decide how devastating it is, long-term. At any rate, at the very worst this would only affect a 1k kilomoter radius area of the US. There might be cascading power failures outside of that area, but not resulting in any permanent damage outside the affected area.
Thanks for the additional comments.
The power station related, and other parts of it sound rather reasoned.
It would be good, if you were on target here, not to infer you absolutely aren’t.
What you need to understand is that there are a whole host of inside the beltway consultants in DC who are looking for the next contracting bonanza, and EMP hyping provides infinite trolling opportunities.
1km or 1120km radius? Please clarify.