Congress warned North Korea EMP attack would kill 90% of Americans within 1 year

[MisterVeritis]

They also have two satellites that may be weaponized.

More importantly, they can use the south polar orbit to strike us with little warning.

I met Peter Pry and a few of his cohorts. He is an impressive man. I read one of his "works" long ago when I was an intelligence officer on an airborne command post. I won't tell you the subject.

[Captdon]

All nuclear weapons generate an electromagnetic pulse. So creating an EMP weapon is as easy as creating a low-yield nuclear munition. A year ago the Norks were years away from sophisticated weapons. Today they have them. A year ago the public assessment was the Norks might have as many as six crude weapons unable to be mounted on ballistic missiles. Today we are claiming they may have as many as sixty weapons including warheads mounted to ballistic missiles.

I believe you err. We are in danger today.

They have to explode at high altitude. NK hasn't been able to get a missile that can withstand re-entry.

I think our military has the capability to knckc what they have down. They seem to, at least. I also don't believe Kim is crazy.

If I err, we'll never know it.

[Peter1469]

They have to explode at high altitude. NK hasn't been able to get a missile that can withstand re-entry.

I think our military has the capability to knckc what they have down. They seem to, at least. I also don't believe Kim is crazy.

If I err, we'll never know it.

Sure you will. An EMP strike won't kill you directly. It will just force you to live in a society trust into a pre-industrial age. That will collapse society.

[Cthulhu]

Sure you will. An EMP strike won't kill you directly. It will just force you to live in a society trust into a pre-industrial age. That will collapse society.

In the most horrific of ways as well.

Sent from my evil cell phone.

[MisterVeritis]

They have to explode at high altitude. NK hasn't been able to get a missile that can withstand re-entry.

I think our military has the capability to knckc what they have down. They seem to, at least. I also don't believe Kim is crazy.

If I err, we'll never know it.

I know it today. :-)

Re-entry is not required. A detonation above 40 kilometers of a weapon greater than around 20 kilotons will be enough. The E1 component, created by the interaction of gamma radiation with molecules in the upper atmosphere will generate enough voltage to interfere with, damage or destroy most electronic devices.

[Don]

A clear and present danger should be the attitude of the government to make hardening the grid a top priority. It should be considered an emergency. For a few years I've heard our military leaders say that "global warming" is a clear and present danger but not so much when it comes to this issue. The solar flare in the 1800's showed what can happen to a crude system like we had then. If it happens now it would be no different than a high altitude nuclear burst. If it happens I'm sure the country would go into emergency military mode to repair the damage and deal with the consequences. It would be much easier and cheaper to just take care of the problem now. In war we convert part of the economy to make war material. It wouldn't take that much to expand companies that make transformers and make them able to handle the pulse. Put out bids like like we did to build war materials and require power companies to replace the old ones in a reasonable amount of time. There could be tax incentives to help out. Cheaper and easier by far than dealing with the aftermath.

[Peter1469]

A clear and present danger should be the attitude of the government to make hardening the grid a top priority. It should be considered an emergency. For a few years I've heard our military leaders say that "global warming" is a clear and present danger but not so much when it comes to this issue. The solar flare in the 1800's showed what can happen to a crude system like we had then. If it happens now it would be no different than a high altitude nuclear burst. If it happens I'm sure the country would go into emergency military mode to repair the damage and deal with the consequences. It would be much easier and cheaper to just take care of the problem now. In war we convert part of the economy to make war material. It wouldn't take that much to expand companies that make transformers and make them able to handle the pulse. Put out bids like like we did to build war materials and require power companies to replace the old ones in a reasonable amount of time. There could be tax incentives to help out. Cheaper and easier by far than dealing with the aftermath.

The House has passed several bills to harden the grid. The Senate always blocks them.

[gamewell45]

And people with medical conditions that require electricity to keep them alive. That includes the fat ass diabetics.

Be careful, I personally know one or two type 1 diabetics who are lean as a rail; they were born that way.

[Peter1469]

Be careful, I personally know one or two type 1 diabetics who are lean as a rail; they were born that way.

Agree about Type 1.

Type 2 is pure diet.

But the point is without refrigeration their insulin will go bad and they will die.

[MisterVeritis]

A clear and present danger should be the attitude of the government to make hardening the grid a top priority. It should be considered an emergency. For a few years I've heard our military leaders say that "global warming" is a clear and present danger but not so much when it comes to this issue. The solar flare in the 1800's showed what can happen to a crude system like we had then. If it happens now it would be no different than a high altitude nuclear burst. If it happens I'm sure the country would go into emergency military mode to repair the damage and deal with the consequences. It would be much easier and cheaper to just take care of the problem now. In war we convert part of the economy to make war material. It wouldn't take that much to expand companies that make transformers and make them able to handle the pulse. Put out bids like like we did to build war materials and require power companies to replace the old ones in a reasonable amount of time. There could be tax incentives to help out. Cheaper and easier by far than dealing with the aftermath.

There are no quick fixes.

One large transformer takes almost two years to build. There are just a few places in the world that make them. After an EMP attack, we might need a few thousand of them.

We do know how to harden the grid. But the federal government will not act so it will not be hardened. The electrical companies are so highly regulated no one will do anything without a law directing them along with an ability to raise their rates to recover the extraordinary cost. Tax incentives won't do the trick.