The commission centered on attack EMPs, so that information comes from that report.
Yes, cars will run, however that is the least of the problems since gasoline and every commodity people need to live will be in short supply first and then there will be none. That's another reason why I prep. That would be like the hurricane coming through my town like it has before and taken out power and all the food and gas had been bought up. That is the way it would be for a very long time. I am reminded of that when each hurricane comes through.
The first thing I notice when power goes off in the whole town, is the total silence. Not one background noise. Sure, some say they would welcome that, but it is discomforting when that quiet goes on day after day unless you have a way to create “comfort” noise. I have a battery portable digital TV so I can find out what is happening around me. If you haven't experienced damage over a hundred miles around you - you can't find out squat if you don't have a way to find out if your area is really damaged or if the utilities are okay to use, etc.. Those involved can't see what has happened if they have no working TV.
After Ike went through, due to the portable battery TV, I could see the terrible damage done to Galveston, to Texas City, to League City, to Houston, and to my area. Seeing what is out there allows one to adjust to it faster.
“It is from scientists in that field reporting together how it really is.”
Who are you talking to? I probably know them. I am quite sure they are not telling you what you think they are telling you.
There are all sorts of transients that can occur in power distribution that can burn things out. It’s possible that a solar flare could induce this sort of secondary failure, but no energy from a solar flare can propagate across a transformer - it’s essentially DC - it doesn’t pass through.
What is the typical duration of a large flare?