What Gets Destroyed in an EMP (And How to Protect)

EMP is a low-probability threat, but one with potentially high consequences should it occur. Dr. Arthur Bradley, a recognized expert in EMPs, their effects and how to protect against them, has a video where he offers suggestions on how to protect against an EMP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNBj3nkVqEQ

Dr. Bradley's recommendations are based on his research and would seem to offer a reasonable degree of protection against EMP... unlike some suggestions we see in "prepper" groups suggesting such things as using a microwave oven as a Faraday cage.

There is a common misconception that a microwave oven is a Faraday cage. It is not. Not even a close approximation. Go in your kitchen and open the door of your microwave. Look at the mating surfaces between the door and oven. There is no bare conductive metal at all, usually power coated sheet metal or plastic on both surfaces. It is essentially *wide open* from an RF perspective except right at 2.4GHz. Attenuation at 2.4GHz is achieved through the use of metal features inside the door that make the slot between the door and the oven look like a quarter wave reactive choke. 2.4GHz is essentially reflected back into the oven from the door/oven seam. This is why the door is so thick. The amount of attenuation at 2.4GHz is chosen to address human safety limits for RF exposure, with no consideration for RF communications.  Reference: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/microwave-faraday-cage.650830/

Sol-Ark also has produced some videos where they expose small devices (cell-phone, radios, lights) to EMP, and show that these devices continue to function after an EMP.

Sol-Ark EMP Testing Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbHK6Uqmzog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKsAj0K5c0I

Ham Radio Planet has an article that states "Ham radio will still work just fine after an EMP. The same goes for CB radio and other kinds of walkie-talkies. But it’s not quite as plain an answer like yes or no, because there are a number of other factors to consider. For example, ham radio still runs on batteries, and your batteries aren’t going to last forever."  https://hamradioplanet.com/will-amateur-radio-work-after-an-emp/

Modern (current model) vehicles will very likely continue to function after an EMP. Volkswagen even has a purpose-built facility to test their cars against potential lightning strikes with charges of up to 800,000 volts. After the bolt hits, the car starts right up. Modern cars can survive a multitude of electrical issues without failing. Here is a video showing the test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmk3lPManAc&t 

The EMP Commission released a study in 2004 that subjected 37 different vehicles with vintages ranging from 1986 to 2002 to simulated EMP attacks. None of the vehicles suffered any lasting effects with their engines shut off. https://techprotectbag.com/emp-effects-on-cars-would-yours-survive/

Other studies found mixed results, but no study found that all or even most vehicles would be disabled by an EMP. Would Your Car Survive an EMP Attack?
https://www.lifewire.com/would-your-car-survive-an-emp-attack-3903248

The Grid Might Survive an Electromagnetic Pulse Just Fine (April 30, 2019) -- A new report enters the debate over whether an EMP from a nuclear blast or a solar flare would cripple the power grid and concludes that actually, we'll probably be OK.
https://www.wired.com/story/the-grid-might-survive-an-electromagnetic-pulse-just-fine/

 

What about solar storms?

The vast majority of NOAA Geomagnetic Scale 5 level storms (G5) will not cause catastrophic damage to the electric grid. On average, the Earth is impacted by such storms about four times during every 11-year solar cycle, so many large storms have impacted the planet since the Carrington Storm with much less signification impact. (https://www.weather.gov/safety/space-before) 

Is the Earth Going to be Destroyed by a Solar Flare? According to Douglas A. Biesecker, School of Physics and Space Research, University of Birmingham, UK,  "Fortunately, no matter what, flares do not have a significant effect on us here on Earth. The Earth's atmosphere more or less acts as a shield to prevent the cosmic radiation from reaching us. There can be measurable effects at ground level, but the amount of radiation is pretty insignificant. The largest flare ever recorded was in August, 1972. That flare has had no discernible effects on any terrestrial populations, including people." http://solar-center.stanford.edu/FAQ/Qflaredest.html