Can a Solar Flare Cause Economic Collapse?

Richard Carrington was the premier English solar astronomer of the 1859. He was sketching the sun spots that he was seeing on the screen from his telescope. The white light solar flare, later known as the white light solar panels Ireland, suddenly erupted over the sunspots. It intensified rapidly. He was confused by the outburst and ran to find a witness. However, when he returned to his car 60 seconds later, the flare had already become a white spot.

However, that was not the end. The earth was enveloped by brilliant auroras, and newspapers could be read in many places at night just as well as during the day. The paper that was used to record dots and dashes was set ablaze by the telegraph operators. It was possible to transmit messages even with the batteries off because of aurora-induced electrical currents.

Although solar flares are quite common now, one that can be seen in reflection by the naked eye must be brighter than the sun and therefore, more powerful.

This phenomenon became known as "The Carrington Effect" and, as our world has become more electrified, the potential consequences of a current solar flare could prove to be very serious. In August 1972, a solar flare knocked out the communications in Illinois. A second one in 1989 blacked Quebec out and plunged the entire country into darkness for 9 hours. A solar storm caused xrays to damage satellites, disrupting GPS operations for as long as 10 minutes in December 2005.

These flares weren't as large as the one Carrington saw, but they don't happen very often. However, if one did occur, it could have devastating consequences. It is possible for a severe flare to cause ground currents to be generated that could damage hundreds of transformers in the USA within minutes. Because melted hubs inside transformers cannot be repaired or replaced, it could take months, if not years, before things get back to normal.

High rise apartments that require pumps to supply water to their upper floors would be shut off first. Without electricity to pump water from the reservoirs, the taps would go dry within a few days. There would be no elevators, no transportation, no electricity to pump gas, and no deliveries. It's easy to see how a national or international tragedy is unfolding in such a short time.

An electromagnetic pulse of this nature can also be created by a nuclear weapon explosion at high altitudes within our atmosphere. The electromagnetic pulse that would result from a large solar flare could mimic the effects of a major Solar panel and disrupt communication, transportation, as well as our electrical grid, with all its attendant horrors.

These concerns are being addressed more. Computers, transformers, satellites, and portions of the grid are being strengthened to resist magnetic attacks. There is more that needs to be done. Until that happens, ensure you have enough food, water, and other essential supplies to last at most for a few weeks. And pray that any damage done was minimal.