5 Nanoseconds To Lights Out
The E1 pulse of a high altitude nuclear EMP (electromagnetic pulse) will bring modern civilization to its knees in about 5 nanoseconds. That’s 0.000000005 seconds. To put that in perspective, that’s 60 million times faster than ‘the blink of an eye’. Lights Out.
The effects of an EMP will go far beyond just the the power grid; it will take down (damage and destroy) many of the individual electronic components that we rely on today to maintain not only our lifestyle but our way of life (survival). Even if the power came back on, it won’t do much good when all the computers are fried (and everything else ‘electronic’).
To let that sink in for you, I thought that I would list some of the things that may no longer function at home after ‘the lights go out’…
The lights (your wake/sleep cycle will follow the sun)
Your furnace (will you freeze?)
Air conditioners (will you bake?)
Hot water systems (cold showers…)
Running water (whoops, sponge bath instead of shower)
Drinking water (got a plan for that?)
Sewage treatment plants (this could get messy)
Your fridge and freezer (no more cold milk and frozen dinners)
TV, gaming consoles (time to learn how to play cards)
Smart phones, computers, internet (no more Facebook? …oh my)
Dishwasher (time to learn doing it by hand)
Clothes washer and dryer (have a washboard?)
Most stoves/ovens (how long till your bbq grill tank runs out?)
Your vehicle (unless you want to push it)
Things to consider:
-You can’t go to the store because your vehicle doesn’t work anymore and the stores are all shut down anyway… so how long until you run out of food?
-Will ‘money’ do you much good in these conditions? and/or for how long?
-What are you going to do when people start knocking on your door in a complete panic?
-If ‘Lights Out’ drags on for long, you might be ‘toast’ if you live in population-dense regions, despite your preps. Have you thought about your security or bugging out under such conditions? When and where?
-Have you thought about self-sustainability or how you would begin to implement this?
As you can clearly see (or probably already know), nearly EVERYTHING you do at home (or away) is entirely 100% hinged on electricity and electronic technology to enable our very existence! We so take it for granted.
I’ve written about this general topic many times in the past, and I try to put a different angle on it every time. This time, think about just your home (forget about how everything else outside your home will be ‘down’ as well). Look at how quickly your own home may become non-functional or close to it…
Maybe one thing you can do to begin preparing for this overwhelming scenario (Lights Out, Grid Down) is to begin by focusing on your life at home and the things that you may be able to do to offset some of the technological ‘bricks’ that are now sitting ‘dead’ in your home. Think ‘what if’ for each of the things I’ve mentioned above (add more ‘things’ in the comment section below as you think of them). Then think about a solution to offset the problem…
Ideally, a rural home with its own well, spring, and/or water source. Your own septic system for sewage. A big working garden. A full storage of at least one year food supply. A working means of food preservation without electricity, canning, etc… Wood stove for heat, cooking. A backup solar-power system protected via Faraday cage techniques.
Most are not living in ideal locations and conditions, so think about what you will have to do in order to offset the immediate hardships that would be thrust upon you. Start with the temporary solutions to these problems (even though these supplies may run out – it will buy you some time). If possible, work up a better plan or more permanent solution…