Brits Prepare for EMP Blasts, Solar Flares

[Mr Companion]

Please. A Tory-run goverment? Taking steps to help people? Best comedy I've seen in months. Sereoiusly though, I hope it wont be too bad.

They're probably using tons of taxpayer money and as of now it only benefits the military, you can calm down now. On a related note Christ I wish we had a left wing party to vote for.

 

[Wicky_42]

So, not cost effective to prevent the complete destruction of our country's electrical and information infrastructure? Huh, and I thought the Tory government was doing its level best to fucking marry "the City" - that is, the square mile that forms the hub of the country's financial enterprises.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Anyway, this is indeed a scary prospect, but I'm glad people are thinking ahead.

and most of your electronics will need replacing, but that's about it.

That's the part I'm scared about to be honest.

 

[Wicky_42]

[snip]
I agree with you that the UK is taking the sensible approach to it, but you're overestimating the damage an EMP will do. The wires will be just fine. We won't need to replace many wires at all. There will be some that melt certainly, but the vast majority of them will be in a situation that's as easy as possible to replace.

The worst of the damage (at least with regards to infrastructure) will be the transformers. Most of those are likely to explode, figuratively speaking, under the strain of a strong EMP and will therefore need replacing. Most personal electronics within range will likely need replacing as well.

It's going to be one hell of an inconvenience for sure, and it will likely take a while to fully restore the affected area, but it's not going to destroy human civilization.

Well, one key issue there is that we wouldn't be able to replace the transformers in anything like a reasonable timescale. In event of such a catastrophe, there's not much scope for recovery in a timescale that would avert panic.

No fridges or freezers, main communications out, water pumps off, no electrical lighting or heating. No electronic payments. No computer coordination of anything from banking to traffic lights. Police radios would probably work until the battery runs flat, so perhaps there'd be some law and order presence initially, but with the majority of people unable to work, access their money, use the money they have or store fresh food you're not going to have a civilised experience.

It's an eventuality that's quite scary to contemplate, really, and one that the ordinary person can't really do much to deal with, save actually getting their apocalypse plan dusted off and stocking up on non-perishable foods.

 

[Agayek]

Well, one key issue there is that we wouldn't be able to replace the transformers in anything like a reasonable timescale. In event of such a catastrophe, there's not much scope for recovery in a timescale that would avert panic.

No fridges or freezers, main communications out, water pumps off, no electrical lighting or heating. No electronic payments. No computer coordination of anything from banking to traffic lights. Police radios would probably work until the battery runs flat, so perhaps there'd be some law and order presence initially, but with the majority of people unable to work, access their money, use the money they have or store fresh food you're not going to have a civilised experience.

It's an eventuality that's quite scary to contemplate, really, and one that the ordinary person can't really do much to deal with, save actually getting their apocalypse plan dusted off and stocking up on non-perishable foods.

Very true, there would be quite a bit of unrest about it. Replacing all of the infrastructure would take quite a bit of time, if we're lucky, it'd be fully restored in a year or two, but that's an optimistic estimation at best.

That said, the core of our civilization would survive intact. The average person would be without power yes, and the price of generators would skyrocket, but anyone who owns a generator or a wind turbine or possibly even solar panels, would be just fine. They would have to see a drastic decrease in their power consumption obviously, as it would be prohibitively expensive/unfeasible to generate the normal level of electricity used by the average household, but they'd be able to keep the fridge running at least (assuming it wasn't knocked out in the EMP, the odds of which are somewhere between unlikely and moderately likely).

The biggest problems will be:
1) Current power grid will cease to function for some time

2) Long-range communication will be difficult, since many of the antennas, transmitters and receivers will have been fried.

3) Civil unrest about the lack of conveniences

It's certainly something to prepare for, but it's definitely recoverable and it's most certainly not apocalyptic.

 

[Zydrate]

SPACE WEATHER.

I am reminded of the newscaster in the Family guy star wars parody.

 

[Syzygy23]

So our government is fully prepared for solar flare, but a bit of snow still sends the entire country into chaos? Only in Britain could this be possible

Shhh don't spoil the 'making mountain out of molehill so we can get off work/pad the news' party. It's become a national past time by now. We know it's stupid but damn it all if it's not fun.

Actually, solar flares are a legitimate threat, we've just been dodging bullets since we hit the electronic revolution. If a major flare were to hit, conservative estimates say that it'd take a good decade before we recovered, since ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS would basically surge with power for the duration of the storm, blowing out not only all our transformers, but anything with an integrated circuit board would cease to function entirely. That means unless your computer runs on vacuum tubes, it'd be fried.

Hmmm, what if we covered our electronic devices in rubber sheets and unplugged them/powered them down?

 

[Agayek]

Hmmm, what if we covered our electronic devices in rubber sheets and unplugged them/powered them down?

Wouldn't do much. There's enough energy in an EMP on the scale this article discusses that it would go straight through a rubber sheet. And powering them down wouldn't do anything because when you've got a potential difference of somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 V, an additional 120 isn't going to do much to effect it either way.

You'd basically need to encase your belongings in a Faraday cage [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage] to prevent them from being fried.

 

[salinv]

Very true, there would be quite a bit of unrest about it. Replacing all of the infrastructure would take quite a bit of time, if we're lucky, it'd be fully restored in a year or two, but that's an optimistic estimation at best.

That said, the core of our civilization would survive intact.

And, to look on the bright side, it would be a good incentive to rebuild the infrastructure for modern times. Though still a tad bit too late...

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I certainly feel safer knowing that I'll be dead, but the military will be ok.

 

[PinkiePyro]

while its nice to see that the UK is prepared i can only hope the US is working on doing the same given their track record perhaps i should just migrate to England

It's inconvenient as all hell sure, but it's not gonna hurt anyone.

unless you are hospitalized in an ICU with a tube down your throat or have a pacemaker at the time

 

[Saulkar]

while its nice to see that the UK is prepared i can only hope the US is working on doing the same given their track record perhaps i should just migrate to England

It's inconvenient as all hell sure, but it's not gonna hurt anyone.

unless you are hospitalized in an ICU with a tube down your throat or have a pacemaker at the time

Didn't you hear? Your rib cage is nature's best Faraday Cage!

Spoiler: Actually

You are pretty much right. Unless there are places where people with pacemakers can flee to in advance of a solar storm or medical equipment was EMP hardened I am saddened to think of the grievous loss of life because we were unprepared in this critical area. Considering the vast loss of life and limb after such an earth shattering event, hospitals will be so screwed because their machines are fried, especially if all patient files were digital.

 

[Dfskelleton]

HOORAY FOR A NEW DARK AGE!
OT: I've heard about this before, and it's really disturbing to think of what could happen if the supposed EMP did hit. If a big enough solar flare hit, we wouldn't just be without technology; we'd essentially be without order. We'd be cast into an age of chaos.

 

[Dyp100]

Well, I should start building a cage for my computer, sending my address to all my net friends for another the apoc and buying seeds and axes, just in case.

Even though I'm only half joking, I am serious worried about this. We have a ELECTRONICS in our houses. Computers are massively powerful. Are we going to start seeing house set on fire?

 

[Azmael Silverlance]

Well, one key issue there is that we wouldn't be able to replace the transformers in anything like a reasonable timescale. In event of such a catastrophe, there's not much scope for recovery in a timescale that would avert panic.

No fridges or freezers, main communications out, water pumps off, no electrical lighting or heating. No electronic payments. No computer coordination of anything from banking to traffic lights. Police radios would probably work until the battery runs flat, so perhaps there'd be some law and order presence initially, but with the majority of people unable to work, access their money, use the money they have or store fresh food you're not going to have a civilised experience.

It's an eventuality that's quite scary to contemplate, really, and one that the ordinary person can't really do much to deal with, save actually getting their apocalypse plan dusted off and stocking up on non-perishable foods.

Very true, there would be quite a bit of unrest about it. Replacing all of the infrastructure would take quite a bit of time, if we're lucky, it'd be fully restored in a year or two, but that's an optimistic estimation at best.

That said, the core of our civilization would survive intact. The average person would be without power yes, and the price of generators would skyrocket, but anyone who owns a generator or a wind turbine or possibly even solar panels, would be just fine. They would have to see a drastic decrease in their power consumption obviously, as it would be prohibitively expensive/unfeasible to generate the normal level of electricity used by the average household, but they'd be able to keep the fridge running at least (assuming it wasn't knocked out in the EMP, the odds of which are somewhere between unlikely and moderately likely).

The biggest problems will be:
1) Current power grid will cease to function for some time

2) Long-range communication will be difficult, since many of the antennas, transmitters and receivers will have been fried.

3) Civil unrest about the lack of conveniences

It's certainly something to prepare for, but it's definitely recoverable and it's most certainly not apocalyptic.

Well what are the odds of a GLOBAL EMP event? I mean if 1/5th of the USA gets hit by an EMP or EMP event then it would take alto less time to get things back on track since everybody around the damaged area would be able to organise and assist with food/deliveries and get personel on site to fix things up.

Thats why if its not GLOBAL i think we are going to be okay. Now i think the real issue would be with less advanced and poorer countries. That would not have enough educated workers to deal with the situation and/or money to replace the damaged properties. Then outsiders would need to come but you know . . . having foreigners fixing your entire infrastructure isnt exactly intelligence friendly from a militaristic point of view. . . .

 

[ScruffyMcBalls]

Might I just suggest that if everyone doesn't already have one, that you go out and purchase a fire extinguisher? "Shit bursting into flames and killing everyone" isn't a scenario I want playing out on my workbench five feet from where I sleep, so I know I'm stocking up. Other than that, guess it's time to start turning my house into one big 'ol Faraday cage.

 

[Buizel91]

In 1859, a major solar storm known as the Carrington event occurred. English astronomer Richard Christopher Carrington saw a large bright spot on the Sun and a few days later as the wave of energy hit the Earth and knocked out the most advanced technology of the era - the telegraph. Telegraph workers reported disruption of services, some even being shocked through the equipment and telegraph paper spontaneously igniting into flame.

Sir,

What a simply extraordinary story. Indeed it sounds like something from the splendid speculative fictions of Mr. H.G. Wells.

I would like to think that gentlemen of science, in top hats and steam powered space rockets, took appropriate steps to prevent such an event from recurring. That is certainly what Her Majesty's Government should do now.

Actually, the flare did happen. Most telegraph offices reported that their electrical equipment either exploded or simply melted, starting fires. The auras that the flare created were so bright that workers as far south as Colorado woke up, thinking it was dawn. We're talking about billions of charged particles suddenly hitting the earth, and charged particles look for good conductors to latch onto, like power grids and electronic devices. If another one hit, conservative estimates put our recovery time to about ten years before we get power back to most regions.

10 years with out internets?

God help us all...

 

[Quaxar]

Quick, someone protect all the surveillance equipment or if an EMP hits London all hell's going to break loose.
We're dooooooooomed!

 

[Manji187]

"For God sakes, don't do it, Snake!"
"The name's Plissken."
*pushes the button*

Heh, I wonder what country will be invaded on charges of possessing large and unverified quantities of EMPs.

 

[Bvenged]

Actually, solar flares are a legitimate threat, we've just been dodging bullets since we hit the electronic revolution. If a major flare were to hit, conservative estimates say that it'd take a good decade before we recovered, since ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS would basically surge with power for the duration of the storm, blowing out not only all our transformers, but anything with an integrated circuit board would cease to function entirely. That means unless your computer runs on vacuum tubes, it'd be fried.

Your kinda' forgetting the many buildings the west have constructed with metal shielding that absorbs static charges, grounding them, and prevent the magnetic fields from passing through into the shell interior.

Sure they're a threat but not ALL technology will be annihilated, nor will it set us back 10 years. I'd say 4 at the absolute tops. WE don't have to re-develop old stuff, we just have to get mass-production computers going again; we certainly don't have to re-wire, it's just embedded circuits in computer hardware that need replacing.

EDIT: and maybe printers too. They could ignite if the circuit sparked.