How to Plan for an EMP/CME Disaster: Your Pulse Against the Blackout
EMP/CME disasters are silent tech-killers—electromagnetic pulses from bombs or coronal mass ejections from the sun fry circuits, grids, and gadgets in a flash. Power’s gone, cars stall, and comms die, hurling you back to the stone age.
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also referred to as a transient electromagnetic disturbance (TED), is a brief burst of electromagnetic energy. The origin of an EMP can be natural or artificial. It can occur as an electromagnetic field, as an electric field, as a magnetic field, or as a conducted electric current.
The photo at the top is from the ISS of aurora australis during a geomagnetic storm on 29 May 2010. The storm was most likely caused by a CME that had erupted from the Sun on 24 May 2010, five days prior to the storm.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is sometimes referred to as a solar EMP. A burst of plasma from the sun and accompanying magnetic field is ejected from the solar corona and released into the solar wind.
I’m fascinated by EMP/CME disasters. I have read a couple of book series about them and what people do to survive afterward. Both were very gritty, fun to read, and informative.
How Will You Plan for an EMP/CME Disaster?
At GoldenSurvivalist.com, we don’t short-circuit—we spark back. Here’s your plan to face an EMP or CME and keep your edge in the dark.
Related: How To Prepare Your Home to Protect Seniors in an EMP or CME Disaster
Step 1: Catch the Pulse Before It Drops
EMPs hit instant—military blasts or high-altitude nukes with no warning but a flash. CMEs growl slower: solar flares spike, NOAA’s space weather screams G5—geomagnetic storms inbound. Radios crackle, lights flicker pre-hit. X.com might hum with aurora chasers or grid-watchers. Tech’s fragile—sniff the static.
Step 2: Wire a Plan That Stays Live
Hunker down—home’s your bunker when grids collapse. Stock a no-tech haven: manual tools, food, light. Practice a 1-hour unplug—crew shifts to analog fast. Set a fallback—barter spot or off-grid kin if it drags months. Drill it—when circuits fry, you ignite.
Related: How to Care for Senior Pets During an EMP or CME Disaster
Preparing for an EMP or CME Disaster: Seniors’ Survival Guide
Step 3: Pack a Kit to Outlast the Surge
EMP/CME blacks you out—stock for 14-30 days:
- Light: Lanterns, batteries, hand-crank flashlights—grids won’t save you.
- Food: Canned, dry—beans, jerky, no fridge needed.
- Comms: Hand-crank radio—AM/FM lasts when cell towers crash.
- Health: Meds, first-aid—hospitals go dark too.
- Tools: Faraday pouch, manual can opener—shield what works, use what doesn’t.
Stash it in a metal box—EMP-proof—check it; fried gear’s dead weight.
Step 4: Shield Your Base From the Shock
Faraday cages—wrap radios and spare chargers in foil or bins—block the pulse. Stock gas, candles—power’s toast. Go manual—hand pumps, maps—tech’s a ghost post-hit. Generator? Bury fuel—keep it safe from sparks. Every layer keeps you humming when the world stalls.
Step 5: Thrive When the Grid Goes Dead
Unplug fast—surges torch plugged gear. Navigate old-school—compass, stars—GPS is junk. Post-pulse, barter—cash dies, goods rule. Stay sharp—chaos breeds looters. You’re the current when all else cuts out.
Final Thoughts
EMPs and CMEs zap the wired, but we endure. Know the flare, lock your plan, pack your kit, brace your tech, and stay live. When the pulse hits, you’re the one still standing, not scrambling. Act now—the sun’s restless, and bombs don’t wait. Stay charged, stay alive!
