EMP could leave '9 out of 10 Americans dead'

WorldNetDaily ^ | May 3, 2010 | Joseph Farah

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

There is renewed alarm about the possibility of an EMP attack – electromagnetic pulse – on the United States because of Iran's work on a multi-stage Space Launch Vehicle, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

And experts forecast if such an attack were a success, it effectively could throw the U.S. back into an age of agriculture.

"Within a year of that attack, nine out of 10 Americans would be dead, because we can't support a population of the present size in urban centers and the like without electricity," said Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy. "And that is exactly what I believe the Iranians are working towards."

A recent launch of an SLV by Iran has sparked renewed concern of an attack that could send an electromagnetic pulse powerful enough to wipe out computer controls for systems on which society has come to rely, officials say.

As the G2 Bulletin reported last week, Ronald Burgess, director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, revealed that Iran successfully launched a multi-stage SLV, the Simorgh. The device ultimately could be equipped with a nuclear bomb, which the U.S. intelligence community assesses Iran is developing.

Officials also report Iran has been testing detonation of its nuclear-capable missiles by remote control while still in high-altitude flight...

[mad_as_he$$]

Depends on the scenario. As altitude goes up you need a bigger device and a very good delivery system.

[ClearCase_guy]

Certainly size and distance matter -- but as others have mentioned, the Starfish Prime explosion in 1962 had an effect on Hawaii 1000 miles away.

If this sort of attack were to occur, the device size and the altitude might result in a somewhat localized effect. But it's important to note that an attack of this type COULD affect the whole nation.

[bgill]

My biggest worry would be folks trying to raid our crops, but they do so at their own risk.

Put up a sign stating you've poisoned specific produce so they raid at their own risk. Problem solved.

[shibumi]

I’ve wished for far more foolish things in my life.

And, as I stated to the person I originally posted to, the question was speculative in nature.

(I have close friends who are seriously contemplating moving back to the former Yugoslavia, and have invited me to join them.)

In terms of the original question, Balkanization would offer the more rural states the opportumity to excise the cancer that is urban America.

[ColdWater]

High altitude EMP is a theory whose past results have shown extremely limited effects. It takes a looooong wire to capture enough energy to harm what it is attached to and does not wipe out all electronics as the survivalist crowd thinks. They have this grand idea that they will survive an EMP attack and the world will be dead, except for them.

You missed Kozak.

[Betis70]

The lattice work on a car’s unibody construction (if you pull the sheet metal skin off)...could that act as a Faraday cage too? I wondered that while reading Forstchen’s book.

[Cheburashka]

Bad? Yes. 90% of Americans dead? Come on.

---

When fuel production stops, food distribution collapses. Your average grocery store has a about a three day supply. After the store is empty, it's whatever you have in your house, plus whatever you can steal, less whatever is stolen from you. How long before most starve?

90% of Americans live in big cities. Americans who live in rural areas might have a chance, if they can fight off (literally) the refugees from the big cities.

You think I can't be right? I hope I'm not right, and I hope we never find out whether I'm right.

[FreedomPoster]

Feeler gauges are in the top center drawer of the garage toolbox. I think there’s a nail file in there, too.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

If they are far enough away from large cities, even better.

After a nationwide EMP burst "far enough" becomes something completely different.

An average person can walk about 20 miles a day without wearing themselves out. This also assumes they carry the food and water they need.

This means that if someone was in, let's say St. Louis, when the EMP hit. They decided to walk to Scott AFB in Illinois to find safety and a place to live on the rural farm towns around the area, it would take them 3 days of walking to make it there. Then they heard at Scott that New Baden was taking in people. It would be another days walk to get to.

That is a 4 day trip for what would normally be an hour and a half trip by car on the Interstate.

Villages and hamlets more than 5 days by foot from a major city would never see a huge influx of people all at one time because of the lack of ability to carry enough food and water to make it in one trip.

[texmexis best]

“Actually most will die while waiting for rescue
I think Katrina proved that.”

Sorry, that was a special case. Mississippi simply started to rebuild and we haven’t heard much from them.

Heard any complaining from Ike survivors?

Those are the most likely scenarios, not NO.

[bgill]

Atmospheric tests (say 10,000 feet and below) DID screw up the power grid in Hawaii

Oh no, now you've given them another claim to why the usurper doesn't have a BC.

[concerned about politics]

"Within a year of that attack, nine out of 10 Americans would be dead, because we can't support a population of the present size in urban centers and the like without electricity,"

Heck, we can't even do that now. Too many democrats feeding.
Non electric back up is common to us country folk. The Bible said to spread out and not be overly dependent - so we did. It's all starting to make sense now, isn't it?

[ClearCase_guy]

Put up a sign stating you've poisoned specific produce so they raid at their own risk. Problem solved.

If Zimbabwe is any guide, the raiders will torture your family until you tell them which crops are safe.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

90% of Americans live in big cities.

Bull crap.

20% of the population live in Urban areas (about 60 million) and another 50% live in Suburban areas (about 150 million).

[Kartographer]

All,

You may wish to review my Preparedness Manual at:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ojmy2z1zfin

[SoCal Pubbie]

Since they're for sale all over the Internet, I'd guess thousands. Since many parts of the world probably use such pumps for a variety of fluids every day, I'd say there are probably tens of thousands worldwide, perhaps more. Since there are large sections of the U.S. military overseas that would be unaffected by EMP in North America, I would say they would be arriving across the U.S. within days of the event, along with generators, technicians, bulldozers and tractors, medical supplies, etc.

Within a month, ships laden with replacement parts for the electrical grid would start arriving from Europe and Japan, assuming Canada got fried too. Trains pulling strings of a hundred cars each would deliver needed supplies across the country once locomotives were repaired and back on line. Yes, you may have to walk to a central location since trucks wouldn’t be making the trip to the local 711, but you could get food and water.

EMP is real, EMP is a threat, but it is NOT the end of the world if someone is dumb enough to try it.

[justlurking]

That’s great to have an older car but it’s not worth much if you can’t pump the gas from the underground storage tanks.

That's an easy problem to solve. Long ago when a hurricane knocked out the power, we simply pulled the cover off and used a long fan belt with a lawn edger to turn the pump.

[DuncanWaring]

It is half as strong at half the distance and so on.

You actually meant "A quarter as strong at twice the distance...", right?

[oh8eleven]

Those are the most likely scenarios, not NO.
NO is exactly what will happen in most every major city in the country.
As Rush used to point out just after the Rodney King riots in LA - people were standing in the streets w/ their welfare checks in hand, but because their check cashing place had burned down, they had no clue what to do next.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

What may be true of the city seldom translates to the country very well.

With a couple of these units on hand, I don't care what happens to the grid.