Solar storm of 1859 would cripple modern world
Carrington Event
Solar storm of 1859 also known as Carrington Event luckily hit the earth in early ages of humanity depending on electricity. At that time there was not much more than telegraph systems. They failed all over North America and Europe. Some of them even caught fire.
The spectacular light display, also known as aurora was seen even in Rome. It was so powerful that earths magnetosphere couldn't hold it and solar wind painted the beautiful skylight that was seen in most of the world.
Don't think that this was one kind of event. It happens all the time. As some prediction indicates, we are already overdue.
Less severe storms have occurred in 1921, 1960 and 1989 in Quebec. It overloaded power grid and knocked out power across large section of region. Without electricity people were trapped in elevators. They had no lights in subway system and businesses suffered major losses.
What would it be like if it happened today?
Unlike 1859, today's society can't function without electricity.
Although many think that being without electricity for a week would be a welcome break from today's pace of life, true consequences of powerful solar storm would be much grimmer.
Overloading power transformers would melt their coils, some of them would even catch fire. If this would happen to majority of transformers don't expect to have electricity back anytime soon. It would take months or even years to replace them. Transformers are custom build for each specific use and therefore it takes time to replace them.
Without electricity you cannot expect water from the faucet. The water system needs pressure to get water through pipes and without the pumps running you will have no water in your home.
Those are the two major things that its hard to imagine being without. The chaos that comes afterwards is comparable to movie like scenario. We are on a solar storm lottery that we don't want to win. Given enough time we will hit it, after all we are playing it for quite some time.
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Interesting, would there be any warning signs before it happened (and if so, how long)?
All they can do is to observe solar flare patterns and based on it make a prediction of a big solar storm.
Solar wind particles travel with a speed near of light. Once they are observed is already late to do anything. You can just watch the beautiful sky.
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