Lately, there has been a lot of noise on the internet and in the news media about EMP (electromagnetic pulse). But it is not only internet preppers who are warning of the dangers of an EMP attack or event; people in the know, like the late Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, a member of the Congressional EMP Commission and an expert on EMP weapons, warned that an EMP burst would have a catastrophic effect on every American’s life. Many people attribute worry over an EMP attack to the tin foil hat crowd, but it is enough of a reality to consider what the effects would be in everyday life.
What is EMP?
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a burst of electromagnetic radiation caused naturally by a coronal mass ejection (CME) from our sun created by magnetic storms or the detonation of a high-altitude nuclear weapon by a human enemy. In the simplest natural terms, a lightning bolt is a very localized form of EMP.
According to scientific models, a nuclear detonation at 25 miles above North America would destroy most of the electronics, high-voltage transformers, vehicle electronics, and other electrical equipment in the country. According to the Congressional Task Force on National and Homeland Security report from the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack released in 2008, efforts to harden America’s infrastructure against EMP are “nonexistent.” Anything with an electrical charge or current would be affected. Even some devices that are not plugged in could be affected.
Has an EMP Ever Occurred in the Past?
Natural EMP bursts have occurred in the past. A solar storm called the Carrington Event occurred in 1859, resulting in a powerful EMP. Even the simple electronics of the day were affected as telegraph systems went offline, some of them even being melted by the burst. The coronal display known as the Northern Lights was visible in the tropics during the event. Scientists conjecture that an event that powerful today would knock out the internet and any businesses that rely on it, such as financial, electric grids, and communications. Another CME in May 1921 knocked out telegraph and telephone systems worldwide. An EMP generated by a nuclear blast would be far more powerful than these natural events were, although it would be localized to the continent where it detonated.
How Would an EMP Affect Americans?
According to the late Dr. Peter Pry, “You can use a single weapon to collapse the entire North American power grid. Once the electric grid goes down, everything would collapse,” Pry said in an interview with Live Science. “Everything depends on electricity: telecommunications, transportation, even water.”
An EMP attack could be generated with a single missile. If it was a hypersonic missile traveling at Mach 6 (4,450mph), there would be no way to stop it. Our lives would fundamentally change in the blink of an eye.
No Electricity
The most obvious result will be no electricity. Every power plant and substation in the affected area will be damaged, and the entire power grid will be down. Not only will the generation and transmission system be destroyed, but all the electronics to control them will be knocked out. Unfortunately, many modern home generators that rely on electronic systems would also stop working since modern inverter-style generators are vulnerable to the effects of an EMP. Some older generators built before 1980 may have enough metal in their structures to physically block the effects of an EMP.
Transportation and Supply Chain Disrupted
Modern internal combustion engine vehicles will be affected, and all-electric vehicles (EVs) will cease working because they rely on sophisticated electronics to work. No vehicles for transportation would mean no trucks, no trains, and, in some cases, no ships or barges. Even if unaffected vehicles are brought in from outside the affected area, assuming it only affects a specific area, there would be no power for warehouses, refrigerated storage facilities, and depot operations and no computers to manage it all. The supply chain will cease to function, and basic commodities will be unavailable.
Beyond that, other than a few people who had horses or bicycles, people would not be able to travel except on foot. Those vehicles that were in motion at the time of the EMP would stop working. That would include modern trucks, cars, and trains. Fortunately, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that aircraft be able to withstand an EMP with no loss of function or safety. So, theoretically, aircraft in flight at the time could land safely, although airports would be offline. After the initial failure, travel of any kind would be slow and fraught with risks and hardships.
No Basic Services
No electricity and the damage to any equipment that runs on it would impact the most basic of needs. Urban dwellers who rely on city water services would find that nothing came out of the tap when they turned it. Even people with wells would not be able to get the water from them because of the lack of power for pumps.
Likewise, urban septic systems would cease to function. This would have an immediate effect on sanitation and health because of the lack of facilities to process waste, as well as back-ups that could occur in sewage systems that no longer have power. People with individual septic systems that don’t use pumps could still use their toilets by dumping water in the toilet to flush it.
No power would mean that HVAC systems would no longer work. That would mean no heat or air conditioning. Keeping warm in the winter would be an especially difficult problem to solve.
Food
People would quickly run out of food, especially in urban settings. Grocery stores would have no power to operate, which would include power for refrigerators and freezers. What food was on hand would quickly be gone as people thronged stores to get whatever they could. With no vehicles or supply chains, stores would not be replenished.
America’s heavily industrialized agriculture system would cease to function. With no power much of the infrastructure would fail. In addition, there would be no tractors or other farming machinery. All that would mean there would be no harvest and no way to transport it if there was. Farmers themselves could survive but they would go back to a subsistence level of agriculture.
Medical Care
Medical care would be very difficult to obtain. Although hospitals have emergency generators, those generators would also have been affected by the EMP. Even those that weren’t would soon run short of fuel. Getting to a hospital or other medical care provider would be slow and difficult as no one would have vehicles, and there would be no emergency services.
Medical supplies and, most of all, pharmaceuticals would be in short supply. This would be especially hard on people who need daily doses of various drugs to maintain their health. Another tragic result is that an EMP would affect heart pacemakers because they would energized at the time of the pulse.
Economic Collapse and Livelihood
The economic system would collapse. These days, the vast majority of people’s money is digital, and it exists primarily as data in bank computer networks. Most banks have a limited amount of cash on hand, and even that may be hard to access with no power or transportation for the people authorized to open the vault.
ATMs would not work, so the only way to get cash from one would be to physically break it open. Store electronic systems would not work, so credit cards and even cash sales would be impossible. The only cash people would have would be whatever they had before the EMP hit.
The overall economic system would also cease to operate. The stock market could crash because all asset transactions would be impossible. Businesses would lose their data and could not continue operations which would impact the stability of the economy.
Data Loss
Electronic records would be gone. Remember that it is not just a power failure. An EMP would fry most electronics. Data stored on computer drives and in unshielded cloud storage servers would be gone unless it is backed up somewhere outside the area affected by the EMP. Business records, property records, banking and credit records, medical records, legal documents, and everything else not backed up on good old-fashioned paper would be wiped out.
Infrastructure and Communication
The infrastructure we take for granted would break down. Physical infrastructure like roads and waterways would still exist and could be used, assuming people have something to use it with, but all the support structures would be gone. Emergency services, police, repair crews, and even basic service management would all be reduced to whatever they could accomplish on foot in their local area.
Communication would be reduced to personal communication. There would be no phone network, and even most radios would be damaged by the EMP. It is possible that if you had small radios that did not have batteries in them at the time of the pulse, you could establish limited communications with others who also have them.
Social Meltdown
Fear, confusion, and chaos would rapidly ensue. Shortages of food, water, and medical care would create desperation. People would storm stores and warehouses and rapidly clean out whatever was on hand. The people who will weather an EMP the best are those who have planned and prepared by storing a basic supply of food and critical supplies. They will still have to deal with the loss of most modern items like centralized water and heating systems, but they will be in a much stronger position than most people living in large apartment complexes.
Things That Will Continue to Work
Not everything would stop working. Devices that do not rely on computers or sophisticated electronics would continue to work.
Older Vehicles
Older vehicles that do not rely on computer control systems would still work, generally, vehicles older than 1980. Old farm tractors would also work. Dirt bikes and some off-road vehicles would also continue to work. The main limiting factor would be fuel since gas stations require electric pumps to dispense fuel, but that could be overcome with some creativity.
Solar Panels and Wind Turbine
Many home solar power and wind turbine systems would continue to work. The EMP burst would not affect the solar panels or the storage batteries, although any electronic control systems could be affected.
Tools
Both hand tools and most power tools would still be usable. Again, the limiting factor for power tools is electricity.
Batteries
Dry cells and rechargeable batteries will survive just fine unless they are connected to a charger or power source at the time. If so, they may burn out from the EMP surge. Likewise, many battery-operated devices will survive if they are shut off at the time.
Flashlights with Incandescent Bulbs
Older or cheaper flashlights that use traditional incandescent bulbs will work after an EMP. Unfortunately, modern, ultra-efficient LED lights may not. LEDs are a sophisticated form of electronics that are susceptible to an EMP. Some may survive, but many will not unless they are stored in a metal container that fully encloses them.
What You Can Do
As the old saying goes, forewarned is forearmed. The effects of a localized EMP could be reversed if support from outside the affected area is available. However, it would take a great deal of time and effort to accomplish. In the meantime, people would have to rely on resources and skills from before the electronic age. Like any TEOTWAWKI scenario, preparation is key.
Light, Heat, and Cooking
Stock up on batteries, candles, and lanterns to get you through the dark night. Remember to include flashlights with incandescent bulbs as well as more modern LED lights. Wood stoves are great for heat and cooking. If a wood stove is not available, invest in propane and multifuel heaters and stoves for cooking and heating. An outdoor fire can be used for cooking and heating water under the right conditions.
Food and Water
We have all seen how quickly store shelves empty during even relatively minor crises like storms, power failures, or even the government-enforced quarantine of COVID. Stock up on at least a few months’ supply of food that is nutritious and easy to prepare. City water systems and wells with electric pumps won’t be working, so store what water you can and identify alternative sources in advance. Be prepared to purify water from open sources by boiling or using something like chlorine bleach (4 drops per quart).
Medical Care and Supplies
Basic first aid supplies are important, but some more sophisticated resources for illnesses and more severe injuries are needed. People used to suture wounds at home back in the 19th Century, and it could become necessary to know how to do it again. You won’t be able to take people to a medical facility in many situations. A good stock of antibiotics is also critical, as are pain relievers and other prescription and over-the-counter medicines. It is also advisable to get some training in immediate medical care.
Tools and the Skills to Use Them
Ensure you have some basic hand tools for working outdoors and making repairs to your home or shelter. Just having tools is not enough; do some research and practice so you know how to use them in an emergency.
Educational Resources
How-to guides will also be important. Remember that you will not be able to look on the internet to find out how to do things like stitch a wound, repair the roof, or preserve meat without refrigeration. Find the information now and save it in hard copy form for future use.
Conclusion
Is an EMP likely? Who can say? In an increasingly uncertain world, a little preparation is always a good thing. For that matter, power grids go down for a lot of reasons. My household was without power for four days in the dead of winter after a storm a few years ago. By being prepared ahead of time, we had at least some light and heat and the ability to prepare hot food. An EMP is only one potential crisis among those growing increasingly closer on the horizon.
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