But we of course need to spend taxpayer dollars on crack cocaine "smoking kits" rather than on things like hardening the electrical grid and setting up backup systems.
Here are some links about the potential modern effect of a Carrington scale event.
https://www.itpro.com/business-strategy/disaster-recovery-dr/360656/what-if-the-carrington-event-happened-today
These IT pros include a video which I did not watch because my IT savvy partner is too busy on HIS PC, and if I look at a Video it interferes with his activities on line. Grrrr
https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-would-happen-if-solar-storm-wiped-out-technology-geomagnetic-carrington-event-coronal-mass-ejection
This link mentions a relatively recent much milder CME event that took place in March. It hit parts of Canada, and I try to imagine the whole north of the central US and Europe being hit with something stronger but still not Carrington level. Also cost estimates in $trillions.
https://www.businessinsider.com/massive-1859-solar-storm-telegraph-scientists-2016-9
Business Insider looks at the impact for business, which in effect affects us all.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/110302-solar-flares-sun-storms-earth-danger-carrington-event-science?loggedin=true
After a noticeable CME event 4 years earlier, this 2011 NG article postulates effects for our technology 10 years ago.
https://www.sciencealert.com/study-confirms-suspicions-that-cat-brains-are-smaller-than-they-used-to-be
In a completely different vein, this link causes me to ask has civilization caused our brains to shrink. I believe it has been reported our brains are smaller than Cro Magnon’s. Most of us are now domesticated. Every day I see people I know would be dead in a week. Is this why girls are attracted to the wild boys? Remember the 2000 deaths in New Orleans from Katrina, including in the so called big shelter.
So, folks, I have a question. What would happen if Putin decided to start his attack on Ukraine just when a major CME hit?