Art Bell described the squashing of the mag field as like squeezing a sponge, but he went on to say that if a series of strong flares hit, the natural protection of the earth by its mag field might be so diminished that the later flare could reach the ground and cause mass extinction. He says perfectly behaved stars such as the sun can do this.
Yeah, Art 'Y2K' Bell, AKA Hale-Bopp Bell