I started looking for more information on the solar storm and its effects on our infrastructure after we had an electric panel burn up over the weekend. This is a panel that controls our towns water well. We had to purchase a new panel from the Electric Distributor for replacement. We have learned of at least 8 similar incidents with other electrical components that occurred following the solar storm.
Has anyone else experienced similar issues?
It looks like there are still flares happening but I don’t know the timing or when/if they will have any effect on us.
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/homepage
Thanks, Kathy. There have been over 350 reports of power incidents over the last 72 hours or so. There was an X5.8 on Sunday that should show up today, although with much less impact.
There was an X8.8 yesterday from the same sunspot group, but it had turned past the limb of the sun and was not directed at Earth. There was also another large M class flare off the upper sunspot coming in from the left side, but no info if that is earth-directed, yet (even if it is, it will have a minor impact).
Sunspot maximum is predicted to be next year, so the sun may not be done with us yet.
Suspicious 0bservers has a daily 2-3 minute update and frequently an update in the afternoon or evening.
This 'solar maximum' activity is expected to continue into October. There is no way at present to predict when a solar flare or CME ( coronal mass ejection) will occur or whether it will be aimed directly at Earth.
The last known time that a major CME directly hit the Earth was 1859: the Carrington Event. There were no electrical grid lines then but there were long distance telegraph lines. Many of them burnt up and it is said that for a time, even with batteries disconnected, an operator could still send some Morse Code.
This page does a good job highlighting outer space events and explaining potential effects on earth