Life After An EMP Attack: No Power, No Food, No Transportation, No Banking And No Internet

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/life-after-an-emp-attack-no-power-no-food-no-transportation-no-banking-and-no-internet ^

[chessplayer]

Most Americans do not know this, but a single EMP attack could potentially wipe out most of the electronics in the United States and instantly send this nation back to the 1800s. If a nuclear bomb was exploded high enough in the atmosphere over the middle part of the country, the electromagnetic pulse would fry electronic devices from coast to coast. The damage would be millions of times worse than 9/11. Just imagine a world where nobody has power, most cars will not start, the Internet has been fried, the financial system is offline indefinitely, nobody can make any phone calls and virtually all commerce across the entire country is brought to a complete stop. A nation that does not know how to live without technology would be almost entirely stripped of it at that point. Yes, this could really happen. An EMP attack is America's "Achilles heel", and everyone around the world knows it. It is only a matter of time before someone uses an EMP weapon against us, and at this point we are pretty much completely unprepared.

[metmom]

I don’t recall because I live in NY and don’t worry too much about southern CA.

[GonzoGOP]

I seem to recall that the single largest atmospheric nuclear test ever conducted was by the Soviets and was a stratospheric detonation of something around 50 megatons yield. IIRC it created a second sun in the sky over the USSR for several minutes and was never tried again. The question is whether that test, which was far larger than anything that would likely be used in an EMP attack, has any relevancy since it happened before the digital age.

The Tsar Bomba was set off at an altitude of only 4 kilometers (2.5 mi). The higher the altitude the farther the EMP spreads. So at such a low altitude the blast radius was larger than the EMP radius. It doesn't matter much if your car stops running a fraction of a second before you get vaporized.

Of note the Tsar Bomba massed in at 30 tons. There aren't many launch vehicles that can put 30 tons into LEO. And Iran sure as heck doesn't have any. Iran's best launcher shown to date can put around a hundred kilograms into LEO.

Even very compact H-Bombs W-56 warhead that produces a 1.2 megaton blast is in the 300 kilogram range. Low tech enriched uranium atomic bombs of the type Iran is developing will be like the ones used at the end of WWII. So figure <20 kilo ton and the bomb masses in at a whopping 4,400 kg.

Small thermonuclear bombs (Fusion) are very hard to build. They will not be a nations first attempt. Iran hasn't even been able to fire off an atomic bomb (Fission) yet. And fission bombs are too big to loft high enough for an single shot EMP blast. So that limits you to China, Russia, France and the US. Those nations have the low mass high yield bombs and the launchers to put them at 250 km altitude.

[Axeslinger]

As most of you have validated the existence of EMP, here's the question: During Carrington or Hawaii, there were no fragile solid state electronics permeating every single facet of everyday life. What are the consequences of EMP or severe solar storm on these devices? It is theorized, but I don't believe that is known.

Also, if I recall, when the government conducted their tests (an oft cited example), many cars etc suffered no damage. However, by their own admission, the level of power (voltage?) they were able to recreate was a fraction of what a modern nuclear explosion would yield.

[bgill]

What do you think about turning a canner into a faraday cage? Maybe line one with cardboard? My garden now days is small so there isn’t much excess to can so the canners are collecting dust.

[Kartographer]

Far more likely that they’d smuggle in their warhead disguised as cocaine, put it in a Cessna, and fly it over New York (maybe over Yankee Stadium dragging a banner).

Let me guess the banner would say:
"TO HELL WITH BABE RUTH!"

[MayflowerMadam]

“No FreeRepublic? This is series!”

It’s also hugh.

(Will beebers continue to work after an EMP attack?)

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

What is an “EMP” attack?

Please spell it out the first time followed by the abbreviation in parenthesize.

That is correct Basic English writing.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Has the EMP bomb actually been tested over a large area? Do they really know exactly what its capabilities are? Have they ever exploded one in the atmosphere?

Actually, they have tested EMPs in the atmosphere and they're more destructive than were originally thought.

One, a 1.4 Megaton hyrdogen bomb was exploded 250 miles over Johnston Island. It caused such a large EMP that it knocked out electronics and communication in Hawaii and New Zealand, almost 1500 miles away.

It also knocked out 3 satellites in low earth orbit and the resulting radiation belts eventually knocked out one third of all low-earth orbit satellites.

[BigpapaBo]

Anything with a wire connected to electronics will be affected. Whether it is high voltage power lines or micro circuitry in your phone. The EMP/Carrington induced voltage spike is immediate. Sure fuses and circuit breakers will trip or blow but so will the transistors and other electronics that are designed into circuit boards and protection devices.
Large power transformers (and their electronics) will be harmed. IE- 138k volt to 18k volt utility transformers. Now envision that voltage increases (In one power cycle) to 240k volts on the high side and 36k volts on the other. Anything connected to this transformer will fry. Both protection devices (Digital-If they still work and Mechanical-Metal Oxide varistors used for lightning strike protection) will be destroyed. The coils of wire inside of the transformers (Specifically the insulation on the wire) will break down or fry. I have seen spectacular explosions of these transformers due to insulation breakdown.
Yep, I work in a power generation facility. Some years ago we experienced a power surge. Lightning struck a grounded fenceline on the property 150-200 yards away. It wiped out the electronics for part of our control system. We were not generating at the time, but had we been online I am positive the turbines and generators would have been harmed. On the safe side, we do monitor space weather at work. Anytime NOAA issues an alert on space weather issues we take note. I've received phone calls warning me of possible issues with solar storms while operating. A nuke/emp, well not much of a warning could be expected.
Mind that the control systems are not a typical PC but an industrial computer. The circuitry operates at either 24v DC or 120v AC. These circuits do not like any voltage excursions. We replaced the fried control circuits with spares from the shelf. It was 6 months later that we received replacements for the shelf. They had to be built from scratch at the factory. Then tested. Then shipped.
Imagine (If you can) that happening in a large geographic area. Lotsa facilities will be down. It is possible the spare parts on the shelf won't work either. EMP will be everywhere and any energy conductor will catch it. Most Intel Pentium chips operate at 3-6volts. I don't think they can survive a spike to say 25 volts. Let alone the insulation breakdown due to heat. (wire heats up as the current and voltage increase or printed circuit boards fry)
As far as the electromagnetic fields are concerned- Any device that can generate microwaves (Energy) has to be tested and registered with the FCC. Look on your cell phone for FCC information or imprinted codes. Some have wireless routers for their internet connection. Look at the packaging for the interference information. People with pacemakers avoid microwave ovens for a reason. Interference. Imagine the interference a couple orders of magnitude.
Most people wouldn't place their cell phones in the microwave oven. If the heat created didn't kill it, the microwaves would destroy sensitive electronics
Vehicles are a crap shoot.
Newer vehicles with high energy ignition systems MAY fare well. But,have you ever heard an AM radio broadcast while driving down the road. Rev up the engine and I bet you can hear the whine in the background increase. Similarly driving near high voltage power lines(EMF interference) will pick up static. Now imagine the interference increase a couple orders of magnitude.
Older cars can have issues also. The points in the distributor cap may make it but I think the the condenser will fry. The ignition coil- it takes 12v DC from your car and “transforms” it to a high enough voltage (30k to 60k) to get a spark at the plugs. Say that 12v DC increases to 36v. What voltage would you get to the plugs? Yor condenser wouldn't make the cut at 36volts let alone the saturation in the coil. It's not much current but the volts will kill it. Alternators have electronics too- Rectifiers. Zap.
The high altitude EMP testing done in the 60’s was over remote areas of the USSR and over vast areas of the pacific. Mostly uninhabited. Hawaii had issues when they blew them during Starfish Prime and the USSR didn't come away unscathed either when they did their high altitude testing. ASFAIK.
The Navy has done lower power EMP testing back east. Ships, planes, cars were all zapped. I don't know the results of those tests.
It's a long diatribe on what could happen.
Too many red-bulls.
Agree/disagree? ! ? Anyone

[GonzoGOP]

One, a 1.4 Megaton hyrdogen bomb was exploded 250 miles over Johnston Island.

And there is the key. High yield, low mass, Thermonuclear weapon, launched to leo. Iran can't do any of those things. Even if they get a low yield fission bomb that won't do the trick. Too heavy, not enough yield. And any launcher that can loft it will tell everybody who fired the shot. Remember our nukes, especially the subs, are EMP hardened. One second after might be bad for us. However 30 minutes after, when our counter strike arrives, is going to be very bad for them.

[driftdiver]

Galvenized garbage cans will work as well. Any conductive container will work. Insulate the items inside from the metal as well.

[chris37]

Indeed, or presidential advisers who believe that the US government has an obligation to halt any expansion of the american population as el rushbo mentioned on his show today.

[Kartographer]

A container carrier, a conex box, a gps unit and a nuke = poor man’s ballistic missile.

[DBrow]

http://www.ece.unm.edu/summa/notes/SDAN/0031.pdf

It knocked out some series-connected streetlights.

[driftdiver]

Do you really think Obozo would nuke anyone? I hope you’re in the market for a nice bridge, cause I am selling one.

[DCBryan1]

Those of you who doubt this better 1) shut up about it being exaggerated,

No, not gonna shut up. Quit acting like a DU'r please.

I'll trust my ten years with DOE OST and the 1945-1992 tests, all with EMP data. Heck, I bet I'm the only Freeper that has been in active Russian missile silo (and they build those damn things VERY DEEP, and VERY thick). Russians wouldn't confirm it, but our DIA guys suspected that our tour of the SS-18 "Satan" Silo housed a 25MT warhead (mod 3 IIRC). Anyways, we were there to help tighten up their nuclear security program in the late 90s.

2) read “One Second After”, and

I have. It is a WORK OF FICTION! just like Lucifer's Hammer, Alas Babylon!, On the Beach, and Earth Abides.
You don't see me moving to high altitude next to a nuke plant, taking my relatives in, storing up on cyanide, or collecting rattlesnakes (re the above books) because of some good fiction writing.

3) read the 2001 Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP).

I have....and I have read the peer-reviewed research that thoroughly shoot holes in the entire report.

What are you going to tell me to research next? Al Gore's An Inconvienent Truth, and then point me to a Presidential or ICCC Global Warming Report? Sheesh....get a grip.

Glad you and everyone else are prepping for all eventualities though. Having worked with and for the government, I have come to the conclusion that when TSHTF, you are on your own. Nothing wrong with being prepared, just don't put all your eggs in one basket.

[GonzoGOP]

A container carrier, a conex box, a gps unit and a nuke = poor man’s ballistic missile.

This was a discussion about EMP. Unless you are going to get that conex box up to 250 miles it won't do the job. And at $10,000 a pound launching a conex box isn't a poor man's anything.

[Iron Munro]

I don’t see that the blast radius would be linear as that maps suggests.

For one thing, the strength of the pulse would be inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the earth, just like any electromagnetic force.

The other thing is, the earth is not flat. The curvature of the earth would make both the east and west coasts even further away from the center than the map suggests and the pulse would be further weakened by then.

Sounds like there is no need for concern then.

[Hot Tabasco]

except for the medicines.

Insulin dependent diabetics would eventually die since insulin needs to be refrigerated I believe.

[GonzoGOP]

Do you really think Obozo would nuke anyone?

If we got nuked, and he didn't nuke back, there would be a coup. Because the minute the Russians or the Chinese think we won't shoot back they will empty their silos. So a deterrent only works if you use it. Obama might not understand that, but the generals and admirals do.