Electromagnetic Pulse (23 page)

Here is an excerpt from the EMP Commission Critical National Infrastructures Report:

Automobiles

The potential EMP vulnerability of automobiles derives from the use of built-in electronics that support multiple automotive functions. Electronic components were first introduced into automobiles in the late 1960s. As time passed and electronics technologies evolved, electronic applications in automobiles proliferated. Modern automobiles have as many as 100 microprocessors that control virtually all functions. While electronic applications have proliferated within automobiles, so too have application standards and electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) practices. Thus, while it might be expected that increased EMP vulnerability would accompany the proliferated electronics applications, this trend, at least in part, is mitigated by the increased application of EMI/EMC practices.

We tested a sample of 37 cars in an EMP simulation laboratory, with automobile vintages ranging from 1986 through 2002. Automobiles of these vintages include extensive electronics and represent a significant fraction of automobiles on the road today. The testing was conducted by exposing running and nonrunning automobiles to sequentially increasing EMP field intensities. If anomalous response (either temporary or permanent) was observed, the testing of that particular automobile was stopped. If no anomalous response was observed, the testing was continued up to the field intensity limits of the simulation capability (approximately 50 kV/m).

Automobiles were subjected to EMP environments under both engine turned off and engine turned on conditions. No effects were subsequently observed in those automobiles that were not turned on during EMP exposure. The most serious effect observed on running automobiles was that the motors in three cars stopped at field strengths of approximately 30 kV/m or above. In an actual EMP exposure, these vehicles would glide to a stop and require the driver to restart them. Electronics in the dashboard of one automobile were damaged and required repair. Other effects were relatively minor. Twenty-five automobiles exhibited malfunctions that could be considered only a nuisance (e.g., blinking dashboard lights) and did not require driver intervention to correct. Eight of the 37 cars tested did not exhibit any anomalous response.

Based on these test results, we expect few automobile effects at EMP field levels below 25 kV/m. Approximately 10 percent or more of the automobiles exposed to higher field levels may experience serious EMP effects, including engine stall, that require driver intervention to correct. We further expect that at least two out of three automobiles on the road will manifest some nuisance response at these higher field levels. The serious malfunctions could trigger car crashes on U.S. highways; the nuisance malfunctions could exacerbate this condition. The ultimate result of automobile EMP exposure could be triggered crashes that damage many more vehicles than are damaged by the EMP, the consequent loss of life, and multiple injuries.

Trucks

As is the case for automobiles, the potential EMP vulnerability of trucks derives from the trend toward increasing use of electronics. We assessed the EMP vulnerability of trucks using an approach identical to that used for automobiles. Eighteen running and nonrunning trucks were exposed to simulated EMP in a laboratory. The intensity of the EMP fields was increased until either anomalous response was observed or simulator limits were reached. The trucks ranged from gasoline-powered pickup trucks to large diesel-powered tractors. Truck vintages ranged from 1991 to 2003.

Of the trucks that were not running during EMP exposure, none were subsequently affected during our test. Thirteen of the 18 trucks exhibited a response while running. Most seriously, three of the truck motors stopped. Two could be restarted immediately, but one required towing to a garage for repair. The other 10 trucks that responded exhibited relatively minor temporary responses that did not require driver intervention to correct. Five of the 18 trucks tested did not exhibit any anomalous response up to field strengths of approximately 50 kV/m.

Based on these test results, we expect few truck effects at EMP field levels below approximately 12 kV/m. At higher field levels, 70 percent or more of the trucks on the road will manifest some anomalous response following EMP exposure. Approximately 15 percent or more of the trucks will experience engine stall, sometimes with permanent damage that the driver cannot correct. Similar to the case for automobiles, the EMP impact on trucks could trigger vehicle crashes on U.S. highways. As a result, many more vehicles could be damaged than those damaged directly by EMP exposure.

The best advice one can follow is to purchase a vehicle older than 1970, generally considered to be the pre-electronics age in the development of automobiles. Buy and store in a Faraday Cage ignition parts for your vehicle, including, but not limited to, an extra set of battery cables, a distributor, points, a condenser, starter motor, fuses, and spark plugs. Consider purchasing snap-on ferrite cores which act as a shield for electronic wiring of all types.

Chapter Twenty-Five
It’s Time to Get Ready for the Coming EMP Attack

Preparation, not panic, is the best way to face the threat of a grid-down collapse event.

The threats we face are many. At FreedomPreppers.com, Americans are urged to prepare for a worst-case scenario. If nothing happens, you’ve lost nothing. For the United States, short of nuclear annihilation, the worst-case scenario is an extended grid-down scenario.

The way you can protect yourself isn't very high-tech. In fact, you're going to be better off going low-tech.

Where do you begin in formulating a Preparedness Plan? An entire preparedness guide, hundreds of pages long, may still not adequately cover the elements of a comprehensive preparedness plan. The numerous disaster preparedness guides, blogs, and professional videos are all excellent resources. But where does one start?

Essentially, it all boils down to:

Beans, Band-Aids & Bullets

Well, of course, there is much more to developing a preparedness plan than the
big three
, but all preparedness experts know that these are the basics. Many preppers are well organized and rely heavily upon checklists. We urge you to review Appendix B which provides a summary as well as a link to a free pdf download of an extensive preparedness checklist. Preppers constantly update their checklists to ensure that they didn’t overlook anything. You can as well.

As you review the following, keep in mind a few basic principles when preparing your plan.

The survival rule of threes:
You can only live three minutes without air; three hours without shelter in extreme conditions; three days without water; and three weeks without food. This will help you prioritize your preps for a post-collapse survival situation.

The prepper rule of redundancy
: Three is two, two is one, and one is none. When your prepper supplies run out, you can’t drive down to Wal-Mart and restock.

Building your prepper supplies to an acceptable level for long-term survival requires baby steps. Thus, survival planning starts with the perfect trinity of prepping—
beans, band-aids and bullets
. Clearly, an oversimplification of what a preparedness plan entails, but it is a pretty good reflection of what you need have covered. This is a well-known expression within the prepper community, as it outlines the essentials that you will need in the event of TEOTWAWKI—the end of the world as we know it.

To summarize,
Beans
will include your prepper supplies, the items in your prepper pantry and water.
Band-aids
will refer to all things medical.
Bullets
will represent the weapons and ammunition necessary to protect yourself, your family and your preps.

Beans – Your Prepper Pantry

What is in your prepper pantry? Right now, take an honest assessment. How many days could your family survive on what’s in your house right now? Most American households have less than seven days of food on hand.

Building a prepper pantry is one of those lifelines that take both time and planning to make it fully functional. Ideally, you want to store shelf-stable foods that your family normally consumes, as well as foods that serve multiple purposes. Stocking your prepper pantry should involve a combination of ready-to eat-food and beverages to last your family many months, plus long term food storage for a year or more.

Overall, your prepper pantry should reflect an abundance of the foods that you eat on a regular basis. Utilize a first in, first out rotation. This is a mistake many new preppers make. They buy food they don't eat on a regular basis. Instead, store your favorite foods that have a long shelf-life, that don't require refrigeration after opening, and that are easy to cook off the grid.

Our suggested preparedness plan includes non-perishable foods on our shelves to last us one year. Then we have canned vegetables, fruit, and meats created throughout the year. Finally, dried goods such as beans, rice, pasta, and oatmeal are stored utilizing Mylar Bags and desiccant packs (this technique is discussed in depth on the Freedom Preppers website) which can last for up to twenty years.

The following foods are all popular food staples that should be considered as “must haves” for your Prepper Pantry. The advantages to storing these items are that they encompass all of the key consideration points listed above. Best of all, these items are very affordable and extremely versatile, making them worthy of being on your storage shelves for extended emergencies. You'll find most of these items in your pantry already. Try to increase the quantity each week and place them into a rotation. Use this list as a starting point on beginning or extending your Prepper Pantry. Always keep your family’s food preferences and dietary needs in mind when investing in your food supply. This list is very basic, but a good start. The checklist in Appendix B is helpful as well.

·
        
Dried legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas

·
        
Rice, lots of rice

·
        
Pasta and sauces

·
        
Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, and cereals

·
        
Canned meat, fish, soups, fruits, and vegetables

·
        
Peanut Butter

·
        
Packaged Meals (macaroni and cheese, hamburger helper, Ramen noodles

·
        
Seasonings and cooking oils

·
        
Flour, salt, sugar, corn meal, and powdered cheeses

·
        
Powdered drinks like milk, Tang and Gatorade; Tea Bags

Here are some additional considerations.

Food – If you would like to start storing food, there are some things to think about. How long will the food last? Is this something that you and your family will realistically eat? Will the food survive if there is a disaster and no electricity? How will you cook the food that you have stored? The amount of food stored ultimately depends on the person that is storing it. But, keep in mind that you need to have enough food for the amount of time a foreseen disaster will last. If you are just preparing for a short term disaster, then maybe only a few days to a week of food is necessary. If your preparations need to last after a catastrophic collapse of society or a grid-down event, you may want to have a few months to multiple years of food stockpiled. Also, you may want to raise your own livestock and have a fruit and vegetable garden. Hunting and fishing are also a great way to supplement your food stores. Just a note, all of the grocery stores combined in one city, usually only have about three-days-worth of food for the entire city. This is known as
just-in-time inventory
, and most stores’ shelves will be empty within hours when a collapse event becomes apparent.

Heirloom Seeds – While technically not food yet, the ability to grow your own food will be critical to sustain yourself after your food supplies run out. Besides, before the SHTF,
growing your own food was like printing your own money
. And, it’s good practice.

Water – FEMA claims that each adult needs one gallon of water per person per day. This is wholly inadequate. While this quantity may keep you hydrated, it will not be sufficient to maintain your location. When there is no water coming out of the sink, where will you find fresh, clean water? You may want to keep water stockpiled as well. There are a couple options for this.

The basic principles revolve around
water catchment, purification, and storage
. Again, water management is a subject for an entire book. But consider this. In third world countries, dysentery is one of the major causes of death. In a grid-down scenario caused by an EMP, or otherwise, America will be set back into the nineteenth century from a technology standpoint. Drinking unclean water can kill you.

There are options. You can keep water bottles or gallon containers full. There are also water tanks that come in various sizes anywhere from under a hundred gallons up to thousands of gallons. If you are lucky enough to be near a river or lake, this may be a good source of water. There are many types and sizes of water filters that don’t need electricity and make even the worst water safe to drink. There are also tablets that can be placed in water to purify it. A well would also be a fantastic water source, but can be quite pricey to build. Ultimately, there are many options, but it is a good idea to know about the natural water sources in your area.