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HOME > PUBLICATIONS > Exclusive: Understanding the EMP Threat Could Save Your Life

March 23, 2010

Exclusive: Understanding the EMP Threat Could Save Your Life

Jena Baker McNeill

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Americans know to dial 911 and wait for first responders when a medical emergency occurs. We go about our daily lives confident that, if needed, an ambulance will arrive quickly and whisk us to an emergency room for medical attention.
 
But another threat to the health of all Americans remains largely ignored. It’s one that could bring down the entire health care system in just a matter of minutes.
 
EMP – electromagnetic pulse – is a phenomenon first discovered by scientists doing nuclear testing in the 1940s. They observed that this high frequency pulse, produced by the explosion of a nuclear weapon in the earth’s atmosphere, could create a pulse that destroys electronics and electrical systems. Under certain conditions, an EMP could bring down America’s digital infrastructure.
 
This pulse could halt water supplies and shut down hospitals, as well as the entire power grid, the source of electricity for almost everything that makes society run.
 
Everything in America is electronic. Just ask any parent who has had to buy 40 packs of batteries on Christmas Eve. Or folks with robo-vacuums or programmable thermostats.
 
But this isn’t just about modern conveniences. It’s about medical devices, emergency response equipment and a health care system that relies on a functioning power grid. President Barack Obama has emphasized his push towards electronic medical records for all Americans, but an EMP would make it next to impossible to access those records. That could have major consequences in terms of drug interactions and prognoses.
 
The interconnected nature of American infrastructure makes matters worse. Take the 2003 Northeast blackout. It caused a temporary power shortage across much of the Eastern seaboard, leaving some 55 million people in the United States and Canada in the dark. The effects were widespread: emergency lines were shut down for some time in New York City, cell phone lines were jammed, and some folks literally slept on the streets when they couldn’t get a train home.
 
An EMP, however, would be much worse. Generators – which, during the 2003 blackout kept New York and other places somewhat functional – would likely be useless under an EMP scenario. An EMP would also have a cascading effect that could reach Americans from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles.
 
This may sound like a Hollywood thriller. It’s difficult to imagine that a single pulse could be capable of destroying America’s infrastructure.
 
But a congressionally-mandated commission has explained why this threat is very real, and how other nations have explored the ability to harness EMP as a weapon. Most notably, 28 countries have the type of ballistic missile capabilities to could carry out such an attack. Several of them, such as Iran and North Korea, don’t like America very much.
 
Yet Congress has largely ignored the EMP Commission’s warnings. The military has taken some steps to harden Air Force One and other defense assets against an EMP attack. But critical infrastructure, including the resources which keep Americans healthy and alive (hospitals and first responder resources) remain ill-equipped.
 
The Commission’s chairman has testified that within one year of such an attack, 70 percent to 90 percent of Americans would be dead from such causes as disease. It is also possible that many Americans would die of starvation due to the interruption of the national food supply, which is entirely automated and needs a functioning power grid to operate.
 
If America can spend months and months debating the future of health care, why are so many of us still in the dark about EMP preparedness?
 
Jena Baker McNeill is a homeland security policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation (www.heritage.org)..

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33Minutes.com

posted by: David
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 11:09 AM

knowing about the high possibility of an EMP attack should spur us all to becoming educated and knowledgeable about methods of providing independent power sources within our own homes. Knowledge and the ability to use and apply it wisely is power. We all need to become self-sufficient.

posted by: Paul
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 02:07 PM

We need to be prepared form a EMP attack.We need to educate ourselves about EMP's.

posted by: Rick
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 02:24 PM

As we continue to allow Iran to build missiles and nuclear plants, the threat of an EMP attack gets larger and larger. Politicians should take the lead to educate Americans about how devastating this sort of attack would be - much worse, in my opinion, than an actual nuclear bomb which would affect the kill zone only.

posted by: Bart Bendon
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 12:52 AM

Jena,

What preparations would you deem possible?

There is no way realistic way to "harden" against a radio wave of this amplitude. Any claims to the contrary are merely wishful thinking. A grounded metallic cage or box will simply re-emit the wave via self-induction. It would be reduced in power, but still sufficient to induce the "hidden" electrical device to a potential greater than the insulating materials could withstand. It would still "burn out."

The sole way to avoid this radio wave is to place the protected object under ground or under water. That's obviously why ICBMs are housed in silos and subs - and even why Saddam wisely buried some military vehicles in the desert.

There is very little to discuss or debate in the matter. It's not politics - it's physics!

However, the reason that the physics is not explained to the general public is surely quite political.

I'm profoundly in awe of your audacity to touch the topic - and more so that it was published.

Do take care.

posted by: ralph
Friday, March 26, 2010 at 07:56 AM

The best defense would be a functioning anti-missile defense system ... but wait, Obama has zeroed that out.

Gee, what a surprise.

posted by: Bob Webster
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 10:55 PM

With respect to the comment that there is no way to harden against EMP, that's incorrect.

As I discuss in my invited Infragard talk on electromagnetic pulse, see www.uoregon.edu/~joe/infragard-2009/infragard-eugene-2009.pdf (or .ppt), there are specific technical measures which sites can take to harden power and electronic systems against EMP.

Thus, even if government authorities do not take steps to protect critical civilian facilities on a national basis, individual companies *can* and *should* consider taking independent action to protect critical facilities they operate.

posted by: joe st sauver
Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 05:50 PM

The method of protecting equipment from an emp event is called a faraday cage. There are different versions of it but put simply, you shield the equipment with conductive material and connect the shield to earth ground. I have back up led flashlights, radios, inverters and batteries as well as other electronics in a grounded metal office cabinet. I also have stored food and water among other things. I know where to get water from 3 sources located in my area that are not dependent on electricity.

posted by: ken
Friday, April 2, 2010 at 00:05 AM