So, what are we lead to believe? Years ago NASA posted a terrible warning, a solar storm of biblical proportions. Now NOAA "Predicts the next solar cycle to be the weakest since 1928 with a $1 trillion in damage in the worst case" Unfortunately our high power electrical grid system here in the U.S.A. is still very vulnerable. Earth's weak magnetic field with several large holes in the magnetosphere will still allow the destructive effects of plasma from a solar flare. Is it still coming? Yes. When will it arrive? It may occur in the next few years. What will happen? No one knows for sure. Once an eruption occurs, NOAA can give the proper agencies – including airlines, space satellite operators, and power companies – a 12 to 15 hour warning before it strikes Earth.
What should we do? First, do your homework. You need to be prepared for an emergency. Do a search on “Urban Survival”. It also wouldn't hurt to learn the simple life of the Amish.
Here is my prediction on what will happen and when. I believe it will happen in the early spring or late fall, probably during the day (fifty percent chance, if at night, we just may miss it). There may or may not be a small precursor a day or a week or two ahead of time. If that does happen, some people will think they are past the danger and go about life as normal. Those that are smarter will be alerted.
First cell phones will loose service and the electricity will go off, and then maybe, cars will stall along with the lose of land line phones. There will be a few accidents, but since most people will be at work or school, there won’t be any major initial panic or concern. Most bosses will want to keep their people at the work place in case the power does come back on.
The key sign or signal of trouble here is the land line phone system. They have large battery backup systems and when they go down, it means real trouble. Most of the larger private businesses have gone to a VOIP phone system so you may not know for sure. We have an old wired hand phone next to the company FAX line to check that out when we suspect phone problems. I intend to use that as a verification method.
What should you do? I plan to head for home, helping as many people along the way as I can since there will be no other help and hunker down for a few days, and pray. My daily car commute is fourteen miles which will take me a good four to five hours walk. I will have prepared a “Get Home Bag” which will contain the following:
For those of you that have children, you may have to walk to their school and get them since the school may not release them on their own.
I will have stocked up food and supplies to last for several days at my home. After a couple of days I will go out and meet with my neighbors and determine what we can do together to help each other and maybe even form a new society, one without modern electrics. I'll make friends with the local farmers, and learn how to barter. If the money runs out, some good things to barter with are, booze, cigarettes, toilet paper, and of course food and water.
Remember, we are only as civilized as we act! We must be helpful to others!
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