A CME, An EMP & A TREE - Prepper Considerations

Coronal Mass Ejection - CME
Transient Radiation Effects on Electronics – T.R.E.E.
Electromagnetic Pulse / Phenomena – E.M.P.

Any good Prepper should have carried out some form of assessment in order to establish what they are preparing for. There is however, a threat that lies with us no matter where on the planet we reside, this being the threats from Solar activity CME/Solar Flares and Nuclear detonation.

The effects from these threats may render all devices that contain electronics, transistors and chips destroyed or 'fried'. However, the predictability of damage and its effects are somewhat of a gamble, as the point of entry into any device is unique to its location and shielding relative to the incoming CME/Flare or Nuke induced T.R.E.E./EMP.
It can be argued that to the general public, the effects are a bit of an 'unproven' science, as governmental scientific studies and information haven't been widely distributed or released and as with all public information, the science, arguments and speculation about their affects are disputed.

Where & what are the threats?
These threats come from:
The SUN = Solar activity stemming from Solar Flares or a CME's.

Nuclear weapons.
Some basic facts to help you understand and evaluate your situation, mainly concentrating on TREE and EMP.

Types of Nuclear Detonation:

• Sub-surface Burst (Underground & earthquake inducing).
• Surface Burst – Significant EMP & maximum fallout /destructive effects.
• Air-burst or Atmospheric Burst
• High Altitude Burst or Exo-atmospheric Burst – Significant EMP effects & Minimal fallout/destruction.

The characteristics of a nuclear detonation

• Thermal Radiation
• Electromagnetic Phenomena (EMP)
• Nuclear Radiation = Gamma Rays and neutrons (TREE)
• Blast
• Yield
• Fireball
• Cloud/Fallout

To be clear:
CME's – Emit as a long Low Frequency burst = Which has an impact on Large receptors such as power lines, leading to critical equipment damage such as transformers.

EMP's – Emits as a short, intense pulse – Induces voltage and has impacts on most individual digitised circuitry that contain transistors and microchips. An EMP generally represents around 1% of the energy of a nuclear burst (particularly a High altitude or exo-atmospheric burst (HEMP)).

TREE - Although mainly from nuclear weapon detonations, can also emanate from sources such as LASERS, Microwave beams and particle beam weapons. From a nuclear detonation, the effect arises from the intense bursts of Gamma and Neutron rays emanating from the nuclear destructive device. These intense bursts have the similar effects on electronics than the EMP wave.

EMP & TREE - The effects
I treat both EMP & TREE as the same threat, since we cannot separate and have no control over these effects from nukes. Both will cause distruption of communications and electric power systems even though other nuclear effects such as shock, heat and radioactive fall-out exist at ground level. Radios, radar, computers, cables and Wiring, and guidance systems will be affected. This includes the ionisation of the ionosphere, resulting in the temporary loss of Long-range Sky-wave HF communications, this ionospheric distruption should, over time, repair itself.

Preparing for EMP/TREE/CME – What can we do?
Most hardened / shielded military equipment will provide high levels of protection. Such equipment may include TEMPEST technology (within communications devices) and suppressed mechanical systems in vehicles and generators. Purchasing such military surplus equipment may provide low level protection, but the identification of such equipment may not be easily apparent.

Reduce your locations 'metallic footprint'.
Think of TREE/EMP/CME as a radio wave and in order to stop this 'Wave' or 'Pulse'. Your location and items at your location may act as an antenna, increasing susceptibility and strength of Gamma / Neutron damage with the TREE. Preppers should perform a 'location cleanse' of anything that may induce current into the vicinity of your electronics, this could be classed as ANY conducting materials including metallic vehicle bodies, power lines, defensive barbed wire perimeters, railway tracks and lightening rods which will all act as a kind of antenna.

Using circuitry with a higher operating voltages will decrease damage, although as most devices are not home-made and the manufacturing process is out of our control, this would be almost impossible to achieve.

Avoiding Technology - We could all protect ourselves against these threats by living the simple life of a monk, but that would be pretty cumbersome in today's society. Limiting our reliance on key household items and conditioning ourselves to live a simpler balance of traditional life and a technical life may be the way to go. Should electronics be damaged, our lives may continue without huge distruption.

The use of Faraday cages – This protective measure is unlikely to shield against CME's/Solar Flares, as their wavelengths are relatively long. CME's and Solar Flares are far more likely to affect the power grid as the electrical grid power lines act as large metallic receptors, therefore all devices should be unplugged/uncoupled from the grid (including electric vehicles and solar systems). One of the contingencies for power grid companies would be to max-out its own grid to capacity in order to protect against damage, although the effectiveness is yet to be seen.
Faraday cages are extremely effective against EMP's / TREE. Shielding key items and components within a Faraday cage will ultimately depend on the thickness and type of metal used. The more conductive the metal the better the shielding. For practicality and budgetary purposes, steel or alluminium should be considered and a continuous solid shield should be the ultimate aim whilst avoiding the use of metal mesh as a shield, since the frequencies and pulses to be shielded are an unknown. A good thick metal cabinet with NO openings or access points incorporated into them will give excellent protection so long as there is also sufficient insulation on the inner walls.
Another great item to consider would be an old safe.
If using metal containers, no openings should be made for antenna connections, such actions would render the protective case ineffective

Network reliant devices, such as cellphones and are not worth the protection, as the surrounding infrastructure would be impossible to protect in its entirety. However, they may be used as information storage devices!

Spare equipment - Since it will be impossible for the average person to predict an CME/EMP/TREE threat, it would be wise to have a pool of spare equipment shielded and stored in a separate location at all times. Spare equipment should be shut-off and physically disconnected from any other equipment to ensure maximum protection.

Summary
Our continual and increasing reliance on fragile electrical equipment ensures our perpetual and constant vulnerability. The ever-loaded and delicate power grid is always at the mercy of the Sun and its charged particles. A CME induced grid-down situation would ensure mass panic, disorder and a pre-technical age on a global scale.
The second and quite feasible electrical threat may come in the form of a nuclear detonation, causing an EMP and a Gamma/Neutron induced TREE. All unprotected equipment containing digitised circuitry will be fried. Plunging huge areas into the same type of pre-tech chaos as CME's.
So, metal, internally insulated boxes should be the way ahead = the thicker the better...

Whatever happens. . . . . have you prepared and are you ready?