EMP Attacks and the Power Grid
Chances are you may have heard the term EMP in the news lately. EMP is the abbreviation for a burst of electromagnetic radiation, or an Electromagnetic Pulse.
EMPs may be caused by a natural event from a sunburst or cosmic storm, but they can also be generated by a nuclear explosion in space. If this were to occur, the result would be devastating, knocking out our power grid. Since we live in such an electronic and technology-dependent age, the aftermath of an EMP would be disastrous.
In The Carrington Prophecy this potentially cataclysmic event is explored. Here is an excerpt.
THE CARRINGTON PROPHECY CHAPTER 1
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE
The DCI handed the dossier to Biff like a hot potato, as if he couldn’t wait to get it out of his hands. This was more than a homecoming reception. As Biff had anticipated, something big was brewing, and Biff sensed he’d soon be in the middle of it.
Biff noted the thick folder was marked CARRINGTON EVENT – Classified: Top Secret – B.C. ROBERTS V’s copy (# 2 of 5)
“Know anything about this subject?” The DCI asked as Biff looked at the cover title.
“The Carrington Event?” Biff said. He paused, probing his memory. The subject did ring a bell, setting off his remarkable recall, a trait that had distinguished him at Yale and contributed to his successful CIA career.
Biff nodded. “A cosmic event involving the sun’s electromagnetic pulses, a flare or burst of gamma rays. A major solar storm occurred in the mid-1800s. The Carrington Prophecy says that the event may recur every 150 to 180 years or so, as a natural catastrophic event.”
“Your recall is remarkable, Biff. Actually it was September 1, 1859. A solar super storm hit the earth with the flare power of a billion atomic bombs exploding. Night became day. Telegraph systems went down worldwide and electrical outages occurred nearly everywhere, resulting in general chaos. That geomagnetic interruption was like a dirt road compared to today’s information superhighway. Our almost total dependency on electronics in modern life makes us frighteningly vulnerable to another solar storm of that magnitude.
“Think about the ramifications of a foreign attack generating a massive electromagnetic pulse,” the admiral added, “a form of sabotage that would elicit a similar catastrophe.”
“It’s a scary scenario, Admiral, very threatening. Not sure I want to go there.”
“I like your choice of words, Biff. But I’m concerned we will have to go there. Consider a nuclear device detonated in the stratosphere over the U.S. That scenario would make the Carrington Prophesy come true, maybe much sooner than a natural occurrence. It would paralyze all of our power grids, bringing all electronic communication and basic functions to a halt. It would pitch our IT-based society into perpetual night, vulnerable to attack.”
The admiral’s expression was grim. “That’s our next existential threat, Biff. It’s essential for us to avert such a doomsday scenario.”
“You’re thinking of an ICBM attack?” Biff asked. “Iran? China? North Korea?”
“Who’s got the craziest leader, the loose cannon?”
Biff didn’t have to think long about that one. “Kim Jong-un.’’
“Precisely. Come up with a plan. You’re our Counterterrorism Director.”
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