Is it still a 'tin foil hat fantasy' if the ex-CIA Director warns about EMP risk?

[Jim D]

I think it's fair to say that an EMP hit is probably the most likely large scale attack we could face. We're not gonna get invaded, no one wants to go toe-to-toe in conventional warfare with us, anyone who launched even a chem or bio attack would get destroyed... so a couple of dude that can smuggle some nuclear material onto a plane... that's not the craziest thing to be concerned about.

How many of our enemies have access to nuclear material these days? How many times have we publicly seen where our intel/ DOD agencies have had something slip through?

No-one is going to invade, the federal govt doesn't have the numbers to implement large scale martial law, natural disasters and riots you can probable evac from... but the power going away instantly for months? That'll kill off a HUGE percentage of the population in short order, and there is no running from it.

If reading One Second After doesn't scare the shit out of you, you probably weren't paying close attention.

[arbninftry]

Strength of the EMP, dictates distance of the pulse. The closer you are to the initial pulse is a factor, the overload can cause literal frying of components, even with grounding. Shielding is huge, if you live in the Midwest, and a XX KT goes off in your atmosphere and your farm truck is in a steel barn with lightning rod, your chances of having a working vehicle are better than someone with the car in house garage. But, if it goes off above you, the pulse can still fry all circuits.

On a side note, most military equipment, vehicles and radios have not been EMP hardened. Most have been "waivered" while they were in development. This has been going on since the 80s, cost always dictates development. This was also one the reasons the Future Combat Systems Program was killed in 2010., Cost always wins out, and not to mention some of the crap just sucked.

Since I know next to nothing about EMP strikes: If your vehicle battery is disconnected will it survive EMP?

Also, if it's simply not running is it immune?

Thanks!

[Moose-Knuckle]

Since I know next to nothing about EMP strikes: If your vehicle battery is disconnected will it survive EMP?

Also, if it's simply not running is it immune?

EFI (electronic fuel injection) debuted in automobiles starting in 1984. If you have an automobile manufactured after that and or an older vehicle retro-fitted with modern electrical components it will go tango uniform after a EMP/CME attack/occurrence. The starter solenoid will also be fried.

Your best bet is to have a vehicle that runs on diesel with a mechanical injection pump.

With that said, if you are the only one with a working automobile for miles around you will become a target rather quickly.

Off the top of my head there are two films that deal with this scenario. In the 2005 version of War of the Worlds Tom Cruise plays a single dad who had a buddy of his put a new starter solenoid in a mini-van after the Martian invasion due to their EMPs. Once they arrive at another town with the only operating vehicle they are swarmed by a mob and dragged out of the van at gun point. The other is a movie called Dragon Day about a CHICOM invasion of CONUS. Rouge LEOs take by force a man's older truck that is still up and running after all other vehicle are fried by a CHICOM EMP.

[Outlander Systems]

Truth is, there's not a lot of data on the effects.

I remember somewhere in the 40's/50's a truck's wiring harness actually burst into flames from being overloaded.

I pretty much consider vehicles a crapshoot in regards to EMP. My F150 is nothing more than a computer on wheels, so I'm rat-****ed.

[Moose-Knuckle]

Aside from solar CMEs we have to contend with man-made weaponized EMPs; NEMP (nuclear), HEMP (high altitude), and NNEMP (non-nuclear).

I don't envy the poor bastards that have to have pacemakers . . .

[Moose-Knuckle]

So here is a question for you gents.

Say one day your doing whatever it is that you do and suddenly without warning there is a power outage, then you notice your cell phone is dead along with everyone elses who is near you, your automobile won't start, and when you go to look at your watch on your wrist you notice the hands have stopped moving . . . what would you do next?

We can assume that it might have been a massive CME/solar event as are magnetosphere is shrinking (aurora borealis anyone?) and our sun is very active or maybe it's a primitive strike for an invasion.

[Redstate]

Moose-Knuckle, interesting hypothethical; however it is incomplete. Too many factors left out, eg., where you are located at the time. That is probably the most important consideration.

[Moose-Knuckle]

Moose-Knuckle, interesting hypothethical; however it is incomplete. Too many factors left out, eg., where you are located at the time. That is probably the most important consideration.

Yeah, I know. Thats why I said "your doing whatever it is that you do"; work, school, at home, etc. Endless variables. I ask myself what I would do in any of them that I can think that I might find myself. So long as your not on a trans-ocean flight I think you got a good chance at circling the wagons and going to DEFCON 1 before the sheeple figure out what's going on. I always told my wife if you find yourself in a situation where the powers out, cell is dead, and your wrist watch hast stopped, quietly get home as fast as you can without talking to anyone and play dumb as to what is going on. Once home it's castle hardening and kit donning time.

[Redstate]

Good point. I just hope I am not far from home. It would suck to be on vacation across the country, or even worse, out of the country.

[Marshal5]

Do you guys think the circuitry in LED flashlights would get fried with exposure to an EMP?

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