Why Do You Need Emergency Preparedness EMP Protection for Your Vehicle?

Contents hide

1 The Fictional Lane: One Second After an EMP

4 Preparing Your Vehicle for an EMP Attack

In an age of technological reliance, an unforeseen threat lurks that could incapacitate your vehicle and other essential electronics. Imagine a scenario where your car refuses to start, your phone is dead, and even the water taps run dry. Such a catastrophic event isn’t mere fiction; it’s the aftermath of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP).

Why do you need Emergency Preparedness EMP Protection for your vehicle? Vehicles are vulnerable to electromagnetic pulses. An EMP can incapacitate a vehicle’s electronic systems, rendering it immobile. Protecting against EMPs ensures mobility and safeguarding of critical transport in emergencies.

There is no limit to human ingenuity. There are unpredictable threats out there, some caused by nature, and we have no control over them. This article intends to show you why and how you can stay safe from an EMP strike by using the best vehicle EMP shield protection.

The Fictional Lane: One Second After an EMP

Color vector image of the cover of the book: One Second After. — The book “One Second After” is available on Amazon.com

For avid readers, the 2009 novel One Second After by William R. Forstchen, available on Amazon, might be familiar. If you haven’t encountered this book, that’s understandable; its content is somber and unsettling. While we often seek uplifting narratives, this novel offers a unique value, mirroring potential real-life scenarios.

One Second After delves into the moments following an EMP—electromagnetic pulse—attack. Forstchen paints a picture of its devastating impact on a small American town named Black Mountain. While the setting and events are fictional, they depict a chilling possibility that could become a reality.

In the narrative, an EMP cripples the town, disabling all electronic systems. Cars, phones, medical equipment, airplanes, and other communication devices become inoperable overnight. As distressing as the details in the novel may be, they serve as a stark reminder, highlighting the fragility of modern society and emphasizing the importance of preparedness.

An EMP: Fact or Fiction?

Color photo of a Intercontinental ballistic nuclear missile silo. — Intercontinental ballistic nuclear missile silo.

Electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) are more than just theoretical; they are grounded in science. Nuclear weapon manufacturers recognize their potential threats, often aiming to leverage them for strategic gains.

The bottom line to all of this is no one knows what would happen from a full scale EMP attack or G5 or greater solar storm to all the world’s electronics. If we X40 flare like the Carrington Event, no one knows for sure or what will happen. We don’t actually know how big they can get.

As you can see below, the Classification of Solar Flare Intensity chart only goes X₉. How powerful can they get?

In a paper titled Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack. Critical National Infrastructures from 2015, the author describes many scenarios of EMP disruptions including power grids, SCADA control Computers, and Nuclear EMP-The Worst Threat.

Or an even earlier report called the 2008 Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States prepared for the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Commission.

Their very creation, rooted in scientific methodologies, confirms their reality. It’s believed that countries like China and Russia possess equipment capable of deploying an EMP.

However, there remains a significant knowledge gap about EMPs and the potential chaos they can unleash. Much of our understanding stems from nuclear tests carried out by the Soviets and Americans in the 1960s.

Unfortunately, the bulk of this data remains classified, with only recent findings entering the public domain. It’s this declassified information that shapes current projections, all of which underscore the importance of taking preventive measures.

Based on this information, experts predict an EMP attack on the United States could lead to extensive vehicle pile-ups on highways. Moreover, such an event might incapacitate various electronic devices and, given our profound reliance on electricity, result in countless casualties, especially if there is no directive from the Department of Homeland Security to compel the private sector to fortify their systems against EMPs.

The Good News

An EMP attack isn’t necessarily a death knell. Survival is possible, contingent largely on preparation.

For instance, a coronal mass ejection offers detectable warning signs and roughly an 18-hour window to brace for impact. In contrast, an EMP attack provides no such buffer, especially if executed with malicious intent to inflict maximum harm.

What to Expect From an EMP

Color daytime photo of a large power transformer fire and explosion. — Large power transformer (LPT) fire and explosion.

Electromagnetic Pulses (EMPs) are powerful phenomena that can have widespread effects on a nation’s infrastructure, especially if detonated high above the land. While one might assume that an EMP occurring at such an altitude poses little threat, the reality is different.

The expansive range and immediate repercussions of such a pulse can significantly affect vast territories, such as the United States. Here’s what to expect from an EMP:

Extended Reach: Even if detonated at an altitude of 150 miles (240 KM) above a nation’s geographic center, an EMP can still stimulate the uppermost atmosphere, which spans thousands of square miles. This means it could affect a considerable portion of a large country like the United States.
Immediate Effects on Power Grids: Power distribution grids are susceptible to power surges and overloads, leading to an automatic shutdown of power plants and generating facilities. The imbalance in the power grid could cause prolonged outages, and restoring the destroyed electronic circuitry could take substantial time.
Vulnerability of Electronic Devices: Stored electronics, as well as those on sale, will not remain unaffected. These devices can detect the EMP through their wire leads, acting as antennae.
Automobiles at Risk: Modern vehicles, equipped with nearly 100 microprocessors to manage various functions, are especially susceptible to EMPs. With the increasing integration of electronics, vehicle manufacturers have been prompted to set standards against electromagnetic pulse interference, highlighting the recognized risks associated with EMPs.
Findings from Simulations: Futurescience carried out EMP simulations on 37 vehicles, encompassing both modern and older models. When exposed to the EMP field intensities, vehicles displayed varying reactions. Some vehicles halted when exposed to intensities of 30 kV/m or above. In contrast, others showed no response, prompting testers to increase the EMP intensity levels.
Effects on Running Vehicles: An actual EMP exposure could bring running vehicles to an abrupt halt, causing a restart by the driver. According to the Future Science simulation, some vehicles displayed significant malfunctions, such as incessant dashboard blinking, while others showed severe damage, like a destroyed dashboard.
Potential Road Hazards: Continuous operation of some vehicles, despite an EMP, presents a significant risk. If vehicles unpredictably halt or malfunction on highways, it could cause a series of crashes, potentially causing severe injuries or fatalities.

Preparing Your Vehicle for an EMP Attack

Color Photo of the EMP Shield – Vehicle EMP Protection on a white background. — EMP Shield – Vehicle EMP Protection available on Amazon.com.

The easiest way to make your vehicle safe from a sudden EMP attack is to retrofit EMP protection in it using snap-on ferrite cores. These ferrite cores can be snapped over electrical wiring in motor vehicles, especially the unshielded bundles.

You will need a wiring expert to determine the size of the snap-on ferrite core that is suitable for your vehicle. These snap-on ferrite suppression cores do not guarantee a solution in the case of an EMP attack. Still, at least they will suppress fast voltage transients on the wire bundles.

However, these snap-on ferrite cores are not the perfect protection, as they cannot eliminate fast voltage transients. Still, your vehicle will not grind to a sudden stop, leaving you powerless and stranded.

Key Takeaways

Color daytime vector image of a cluster of multiple atomic bombs simultaneously falling through the clouds in the sky from and aeroplane.

While an EMP attack may seem like a distant reality, it can strike suddenly and without warning, primarily targeting electronic systems. Modern vehicles are extensively wired to support their many functions, meaning more functions equate to more electronics.

Fortunately, vehicle manufacturers recognize the EMP risks and have developed strategies to prevent owners from being stranded during such events. While snap-on ferrite cores aren’t foolproof, they can help ensure vehicles remain operational.

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