DHS: 100 Million Americans Could Lose Power in Major Sun Storm

[mrjarrell]

In a "good" scenario, you could be without power for months. In a "bad" scenario it could be years before power was restored. This is one that they should be addressing now, but I think the power companies have no desire to harden their systems to protect them. They'd rather roll the dice and take the chances. Sadly, even a middling scenario could result in thousands of people dead from lack of power. And the government, (in the form or FEMA) won't even say what their plans (if they even have one) are. Not sure you can prep for a years long power outage. It's an instant return to the 18-19th centuries. The amish would be OK, but the rest of us are screwed.

DHS: 100 Million Americans Could Lose Power in Major Sun Storm | Washington Free Beacon

 

[Thor]

Roll the dice and take their chances...that mean it costs a LOT to do this and they can't actually do it and keep rates where people will still buy energy.

The 'they' who needs to prepare for this is 'you'. If you are waiting for any of the 'them' who is not you to prepare the you will starve/freeze/die because your survival is your responsibility.

My family will live. Even if it's years. Not betting on our neighbors...

 

[Justus]

just curious... why are we to believe a DHS report?

The worst solar event in recent history only took out a relatively small portion of the North American grid.
If you're prepared for an ice storm, you're prepared for this.
We are coming into the weakest portion of one of the weakest solar cycles in over a century.

 

[Bmrdude]

"One Second After"

In a "good" scenario, you could be without power for months. In a "bad" scenario it could be years before power was restored. This is one that they should be addressing now, but I think the power companies have no desire to harden their systems to protect them. They'd rather roll the dice and take the chances. Sadly, even a middling scenario could result in thousands of people dead from lack of power. And the government, (in the form or FEMA) won't even say what their plans (if they even have one) are. Not sure you can prep for a years long power outage. It's an instant return to the 18-19th centuries. The amish would be OK, but the rest of us are screwed.

DHS: 100 Million Americans Could Lose Power in Major Sun Storm | Washington Free Beacon

Read "One Second After"... eye opening fictional scenario.

 

[Leadeye]

Government plans = go to dome and wait.

 

[smokingman]

Near Miss: The Solar Superstorm of July 2012 - NASA Science

One such storm missed us by 7 days back in July of 2012.

 

[mrjarrell]

Near Miss: The Solar Superstorm of July 2012 - NASA Science

One such storm missed us by 7 days back in July of 2012.

Yep. And it was a double barreled blast.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...3723-two-years-ago-we-dodged-two-bullets.html

 

[indiucky]

Read "One Second After"... eye opening fictional scenario.

Very well done...

 

[JTScribe]

just curious... why are we to believe a DHS report?

The worst solar event in recent history only took out a relatively small portion of the North American grid.
If you're prepared for an ice storm, you're prepared for this.
We are coming into the weakest portion of one of the weakest solar cycles in over a century.

The largest known storm was in 1859, and it melted the telegraph wires on the poles. If we had something similar today it would be of historical proportions.

What If the Biggest Solar Storm on Record Happened Today?

 

[bradmedic04]

Tough to prep for, but at least we wouldn't have to suffer peoples' Facebook and Twitter updates.

 

[ModernGunner]

Kind of curious how folks intend to 'prep' for major astronomical events.

There are, literally, a googleplex of possibilities of astronomical events that 'could' happen with this insignificant rock we live on in this in this galaxy. One would drive themself crazy worrying about what 'could' happen, and making some vain and feeble attempt to 'plan' for them.

One could, also literally, walk out to their car tomorrow morn and get whacked by a meteorite. And that's, likely, a more realistic possibility than a major sun storm taking out all of North America, or 'Planet Fragile'.

But, has anyone ran out lately and bought a steel umbrella?

 

[smokingman]

Kind of curious how folks intend to 'prep' for major astronomical events.

There are, literally, a googleplex of possibilities of astronomical events that 'could' happen with this insignificant rock we live on in this in this galaxy. One would drive themself crazy worrying about what 'could' happen, and making some vain and feeble attempt to 'plan' for them.

One could, also literally, walk out to their car tomorrow morn and get whacked by a meteorite. And that's, likely, a more realistic possibility than a major sun storm taking out all of North America, or 'Planet Fragile'.

But, has anyone ran out lately and bought a steel umbrella?

n February 2014, physicist Pete Riley of Predictive Science Inc. published a paper in Space Weather entitled "On the probability of occurrence of extreme space weather events." In it, he analyzed records of solar storms going back 50+ years. By extrapolating the frequency of ordinary storms to the extreme, he calculated the odds that a Carrington-class storm would hit Earth in the next ten years.

The answer: 12%.
Near Miss: The Solar Superstorm of July 2012 - NASA Science

[url]http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2009/21jan_severespaceweather/

Second link has a break down on where the grid is most fragile,and would likely break down.
[/URL]

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

The grid is very vulnerable. Heck, major issues could be created by a coordinated attack on key transformers around the country using firearms. Transformers aren't built here and have very long lead times. Measured in months/years.

 

[Trigger Time]

If this happens you won't see me crying.

 

[halfmileharry]

Tough to prep for, but at least we wouldn't have to suffer peoples' Facebook and Twitter updates.

I'd miss INGO

 

[LANShark42]

If you search the Internet enough, you can find crack-pot "news" organizations spouting crack-pot doom and gloom articles on almost any subject imaginable.

 

[halfmileharry]

Honestly, I'm sure I can survive some rough times.
Happily, I'm not an internet Ninja.
I'm just an old man that thinks ahead. I've always loved Chess and compare a lot of different scenarios to the strategy of the game.
Bring it on. I will miss INGO though

 

[smokingman]

If you search the Internet enough, you can find crack-pot "news" organizations spouting crack-pot doom and gloom articles on almost any subject imaginable.

Those silly crack-pot "news" releases by NASA and congress.
As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Wary Eye on Space Weather - NASA Science
The crack pots over at Loyds of London(insurance company)where not amused when they paid out over 2 billion(with total damages over 13.4 billion) from the March 19,1989 storm that took out the grid in Quebec and came minutes from taking out the NPCC grid(entire east cost of the USA).Lucky for the USA it was a short lived event and the only critical damage was to the New Jersey Public Service and Gas nuclear plant(voltage transformer had to be replaced at a cost of only 10 million).

Those guys over at NOAA,FEMA,and DHS must be some serious crack pots.They have released a ton of warnings,reports,and revised guidelines for the power industry every year since 2001.

http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1739-25045-1072/summary_geomag.pdf

FOI 2012 report.
Survive Space Weather

I think we are more likely to get hit by a solar storm than a large scale terrorist attack.One would effect hundreds of millions,the other possibly a few thousand.

I do try to look for reliable sources though.The NASA report from 2014 shows only a 12% chance over the next ten years,not imminent per say,but they conclude with we will be hit with a Carrington class event or larger in the future it is just a matter of when.

 

[Justus]

Those silly crack-pot "news" releases by NASA and congress.
As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Wary Eye on Space Weather - NASA Science
The crack pots over at Loyds of London(insurance company)where not amused when they paid out over 2 billion(with total damages over 13.4 billion) from the March 19,1989 storm that took out the grid in Quebec and came minutes from taking out the NPCC grid(entire east cost of the USA).Lucky for the USA it was a short lived event and the only critical damage was to the New Jersey Public Service and Gas nuclear plant(voltage transformer had to be replaced at a cost of only 10 million).

Those guys over at NOAA,FEMA,and DHS must be some serious crack pots.They have released a ton of warnings,reports,and revised guidelines for the power industry every year since 2001.

http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1739-25045-1072/summary_geomag.pdf

FOI 2012 report.
Survive Space Weather

I think we are more likely to get hit by a solar storm than a large scale terrorist attack.One would effect hundreds of millions,the other possibly a few thousand.

I do try to look for reliable sources though.The NASA report from 2014 shows only a 12% chance over the next ten years,not imminent per say,but they conclude with we will be hit with a Carrington class event or larger in the future it is just a matter of when.

On the other hand....
I can't help but to see this steady stream of reports as a boatload of unnecessary .GOV employees trying to justify their jobs.