James,
I read in today’s SurvivalBlog, ”David in Israel on Coronal Mass Ejections.” In it, David mentioned that “good grounding is always a good idea.” That got me to thinking, as I had read in fairly authoritative reports that normal electrical grounding for EMP or CME, unless it is done in very specific and professional ways, is not a good idea for the average person unless he or she has specialized training and equipment.
I checked the references cited below, which covers the effects of both nuclear EMP and solar storms. In the references below, one finds that of the three effects of a nuclear EMP burst, E1, E2, and E3, the third effect (E3) is the only one that can be similar in effect to a solar super storm. The author thus includes protection for solar storms at the same level as the E3 effect of a nuclear EMP attack. The discussion I think is worthy of study considering the recent news of solar activity. (He discusses both EMP and solar events throughout the discussion, rather than separately.)
Mr. Emanuelson even mentions the use of galvanized trash cans as protection from EMP–which I have used for a year-or-so–for EMP protection. I do not ground them, but rather I store them resting on cardboard sheets on a concrete floor. I have also been nesting other electronics gear in these cans as well as foil-wrapped shoe boxes, .50 cal ammo cans, fruit cake cans, etc. in the event of either EMP or CME. But the author states emphatically that any Faraday cage, regardless of how elegant or primitive, is of no use, whatsoever, in protecting from a solar storm or nuclear E3 event. So I shall quit throwing my stuff in the cans when every solar storm comes up. He does, however, recommend unplugging the cords from computers and other electronics devices at the “box” rather than at the wall, to reduce the “antenna effect.” He gives a good rundown of some of the myths associated with these events, of which I admit that I’ve been a victim, in the last link, below.
While I have read pieces and parts of this as well source, as other sources —many of which conflict — in the last year-or-so, only today have I taken the time to read all of this source, which is quite good, in my view.. Overall, a review of these references seems a good thing to do in light of the current solar activity
The links below are but a few among many on the site: Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse, by Jerry Emanuelson, B.S.E.E., Futurescience, LLC, Colorado Springs, CO
- History of EMP
- Definitions of E1, E2, and E3
- Protection for Individuals: Grounding for EMP
- EMP myths
Sincerely, – Two Dogs