Posted on 09/06/2009 7:04:14 PM PDT by immadashell
I have just finished reading William R. Forstchen's new novel One Second After. Briefly, it is about the instantaneous breakdown of American way of life as the result of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) which disables the nation's electrical grid as well as all sophisticated electrical components in cars (they stop), planes (they crash), telecomunications of every sort, etc. leaving the population in a world similar to that of the Eighteenth Century. Shortages of every variety create societal strains, chaos, death and destruction in a matter of weeks and months. Forstchen's book (with a forward written by Newt Gingrich), while fiction, creates a scenario which can happen to us today, since the technology already exists. The possibility of this devastation has been largely ignored by our politicians and media, and, to a lesser extent, by the military. Only a very small proportion of our citizens has ever heard about EMP. Even fewer have taken measures to deal with it. Experts on the subject have no doubt about whether we will have to eventually face such an attack. They only question when it will occur.
After reading this book, my first thought was we spend billions (potentially trillions) of dollars preparing for a hypothetical calamity we are powerless over like global warming and yet ignore preparing for this ultimate weapon of asymmetrical warfare.
I highly recommend this very frightening but readable new book. It is science fiction (#1 on Amazon) today but could be reality One Second After.
build a faraday tent for them
Yes. Most died between dying horribly of starvation after burying the dead or dying fighting the large gang that was heavily into cannabilism. Nearly 80%, according to the book. Hardly an uplifting story. But I think he was an optimist.
But most here don’t subscribe. Supplies are just one truckload away.
Movie; does not reflect real life.
Besides, even an older beater still uses an ignition system that depends on James Clerk Maxwell’s laws still being operative ..
build a faraday tent for themWhat the hell is a 'faraday tent'. Who makes them?
(HINT: A 'faraday tent' isn't going to help you with a radiated EM wave.)
Good idea
I was kidding. A faraday suit is supposed to protect things from stray radio waves or something
Diesel engines won’t be affected by an EMP?Right. The new engines use electronic fuel inj. however. Check out the ham RFI reflelctor for more info:
lists.contesting.com/_rfi/2007-08/msg00008.html
Seems the piezo injector create a lot of noise on the HF band.
How about mosquitos?
Thank you for the link. Interesting reading.
Regards,
TS
I’d have to check wikipedia =o)
Glad to hear you got it read it is more realistic to me than he weak will die first some one said upon the trek west in the 1800;s that the cowards never started and the weak died along the way. If we have a emp set off over the usa it will be the same the weak will die first and the strong will survive.
strangely enough, gunpowder, mre’s and sharpened metal will continue to work as advertised.
new york and the northeast corridor might turn into a headless chicken ranch... but other areas of the country will be fine.
If its national, widespread like in the book, it will be horrible. More than 250 million will be dead within months to a year. If we are attacked, I hope they have one small weapon and it explodes low.... over either San Fran or DC. =o)
I've read that book at least 15 times and it still scares the hell outa me when I read it.
If you're interested, buy Alas Babylon here.
Not a 1982 International Harvester, no electronics controlling fuel injector, no environmental crap at all on it ;^)
“I think in the story it was a lot more than “most” that died.”
Yes, I believe they said the population of NYC after one year was down to about 25,000.
Have not read the book but have done considerable research on EMP as has our government. There have been numerous tests and they found that most cars will not be affected depending on the size and distance above the earth but the grid will go down permanently due to the loss of nearly irreplaceable (in the short term of a few years or less) the huge transformers. After a week it won’t matter anyway because it takes electricity to transport and pump fuel and cars won’t be going anywhere.
Are we in danger of an EMP strike. YES. From Iran. Here’s why. If you only had a handful of nukes and used one or two nukes to take out a couple of our major cities it would be a waste of nukes. Why not put a half dozen into orbit, detonate simultaneously and take the old US of A out of the world equation. In a few months 80 percent of the population would be dead.
In the headlines the other day it was reported that Iran is making huge strides on rocket technology to launch satellites. It said they are working at a “feverish” pace.
I think an EMP will take us out sooner or later, probably sooner. Better get some seeds and canning jars.
It's long, but free all over the web. Just Google "Lights Out David Crawford."
Anything you want to survive an EMP event can be stored inside the metal (covered) garbage can in a small plastic tote so the device protected is isolated electrically from the can. The concept is the garbage can sends the EMP's directly to ground.
Even a metallic screen can shield if it is a fairly small mesh. The openings in the mesh screen just need to be smaller than the wavelength of the EMP's.
It's not certain that all IC's would be fried but the damage could be very widespread.
I know a guy whose entire (large) house and attached garage is a Faraday Shield because the house is framed with steel, sided in metal, has a metal roof and is well grounded.
Any electronics inside the house, electrically isolated from the structure of the house, should survive an EMP event.
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