EMP – Fact or Crazy Fiction – And Why You Should Care

Most of will have either heard someone mention or have read something that mentions EMP, or Electromagnetic Pulse. The fact is very few people fully understand what an EMP is.  They don’t understand the affect an EMP would have on our lives.  And oftentimes, they don’t realize the steps they can take to limit the damaging effects of an EMP.  There are also the best, and most important, pieces of advice to follow in order to survive post EMP. This article aims to address each of these points.

What is an EMP?

It’s difficult to give a precise explanation for what an EMP is without sounding like a science professor.  The short and long of it is that it is a sudden and intense burst of energy that has been electromagnetically charged.

Granted, an EMP doesn’t sound too scary when it is described like that.  It sounds even less scary after learning that an EMP poses no direct harm to humans or any other living creature.

So if an EMP doesn’t physically hurt you, what’s the problem? Why do people start panicking at the very mention of an EMP?

The reason why an EMP causes such concern is that it could be used as a weapon.  And this weapon could instantly neutralize a country’s ability to defend itself by destroying its electrical grid and communications networks. An EMP would achieve this without turning the targeted country into a useless wasteland.

Why can an EMP be devastating?

Even though the intended target of an EMP would not be a country’s population, the population would still be expected to go into a steep decline post EMP.   Some ‘experts’ have estimated that 90% of all Americans would die within 12 months of an EMP attack.  Why? Because it would cause starvation, dehydration, disease, and social collapse.

However, there are other ‘experts’ who don’t believe that there is any possibility of a nationwide EMP.  These ‘experts’ believe that strengthening the electrical grid would be a deterrent to this.  If we improve the protection of the nation’s electronics, this would protect us even more.  And this would be necessary as a geomagnetic storm caused by solar flares is virtually guaranteed to hit earth some time in the next 20 to 50 years.  The result of this could be catastrophic to the whole planet, not just the United States!

What are the effects you can expect as a result of an EMP?

The general expectation is that an EMP will completely fry the grid and every piece of electronic circuitry within its range, sending any targeted area instantly back to the pre-industrial era, which may sound a little over dramatic, but if you have witnessed the recent news bulletins covering the unrest and power outages in Venezuela, you’ll have seen first hand what to expect.

There is no disputing the simple fact that an EMP event will cause damage to electronics; most people agree on that. There are however differences in opinion regarding the expected seriousness and extent of damage, with certain ‘experts’ stating that electronic equipment is well insulated with electronic shielding nowadays. Vital components are often enclosed in metal casings that act like Faraday cages, with the purpose of protecting the electronic circuitry inside from any sort of EMP or other electrical interference (more on Faraday cages in a moment).

It’s doesn’t matter whose opinions you agree with.

Is it really worth chancing whether or not your car will still start after an EMP because its metal body acted like a Faraday cage?  Will it protect all the electronics inside as some would claim would happen? Or, whether or not the metal casing surrounding your pacemaker will stop it failing during an EMP as others claim?

One thing will become perfectly clear should you research EMP effects for yourself; there is no definitive answer when it comes to what will work and what won’t work in the aftermath of an EMP, so the only sensible step to take is to not leave anything to chance and always expect the worst case scenario, which, in the case of an EMP, is total electronic failure!

What does total electronic failure actually mean?

Most of us have experienced power outages in the past and know how frustrating it is to be without power for JUST a few hours.  Now imagine that extending over days, weeks, or even months.  What if it happened with no indication as to when the power would be coming back on, if ever!

No electricity would mean –

• Water pumping stations and treatment plants would be unable to operate; this means no water supply and no sanitation.
• No transportation would mean no deliveries of any kind.  This includes food and medicines.   Even if there are vehicles that somehow managed to avoid having their electronics fried, fuel would be increasingly hard to access over time.
• The sick and infirm would very quickly start to die as life-supporting equipment fails.
• Access to money stops, as financial systems crash and ATM’s stop working; not that there would be anywhere to spend cash!
• Communication networks not working; radio, TV, cell networks, and landlines all fail.

…and this is just the tip of the iceberg!

After just a few days without electrical power. . .

Society would very quickly start to break down.  It would happen even sooner in large cities, as they are wholly dependent on external supply for their survival.

Food shelves would be empty.  Safe drinking water would be difficult to find.  Looting would become widespread.  Law and order would be non-existent.  Even the stench of decay from rotting food and human waste would be unbearable.  And disease would very soon become epidemic.

When things get this bad, it’s inevitable that people will eventually start killing one another for a solitary bottle of water!

If you think that this is an exaggerated view of a post EMP society, think again!

In 2019, POTUS has only recently issued an executive order directing the federal government to start preparing emergency response plans in readiness for an EMP event.  The executive order outlines the high level of damage an EMP would cause to the US.  Because currently, the US has no coherent plan of action currently in place to deal with such an eventuality.

It is worrying that the US government has recognized both the seriousness of the threat of EMP and the lack of a coherent action plan for dealing with it!

How to protect your electronics from an EMP

There is little we can do about being targeted other than learning how to protect our electronics from EMP.

Electromagnetic shielding is effective in protecting all types of electronics from EMP damage.  What is electromagnetic shielding?  It is the practice of placing your electronics within a conductive metal container of some kind.  This is also known as a Faraday cage.  Any electrical currents, including an EMP, will flow around the metal container or cage.  Fortunately, it will not penetrate it to reach the electronics stored within it.  All items within the container must not be in contact with the conductive wall.  This is why you line the container with a non-conductive material such as cardboard or plastic is a sensible idea.

There are no limitations when it comes to the size of your electronic shielding, so in theory, you could have a garage-sized Faraday cage where you can keep a car and any electrical item you want safe and secure.  You can buy Faraday cages, boxes, and wallets for protecting your vital electronics.  It’s easy enough although it is relatively simple to make your own Faraday cage to whatever specs you like.

How to survive a post EMP world

Preparing for living in a post EMP world is no different than preparing for any other type of disaster; a good store of water as well as a reliable water filtration system is a necessity, as is a good supply of survival food. I won’t go into details here about survival gear because everything you need to know has been covered elsewhere on this site.

However, if you live in a city or in any other large urban environment the most important thing you can do is to get to the relative safety of the countryside. If you already have a bug-out location arranged, great!  Don’t delay.  Head on out to it.   If not then this article will help you out – ‘Where Should You Bug Out To?

Surviving in a city for longer than a couple of days when there is no water, food, sanitation, and no law and order is paramount to suicide. It does not matter how well prepared you are. The number of guns or the amount of ammunition you have is irrespective; it won’t be enough to protect your stash of water and food against the millions of thirsty and starving people ready to kill for a sip of water.

So is it rational to fear an EMP?

Having highlighted the real possibility of an EMP attack and the impending solar flare that scientists agree will definitely occur at some point in the future as well as the immediate and knock on effects of such events; you would have to be pretty ignorant not to have a rational fear of an EMP event.

On the bright side (I always like to stay positive!), unlike a conventional nuclear or biological attack, an EMP attack will actually leave you alive in a world you can actually survive in; as long as you are prepped for surviving in that world!

Article contributed by Danny Major of https://alphasurvivalist.net/

So What About You?

Have you taken any steps to take care of your important electrical devices? Have you worked out your own Faraday cage? Do you have an EMP plan? I’d love to hear! Share what you have done or plan to do with us so that we can all be more prepared.

Together, let’s Love, Learn, Practice, and overcome!