You and your family are most certainly not on the right side if you are unaware of the potential in 2013 for infrastructure crippling solar flares. I have been pouring over the scientific literature, and there is ample reason for concern and preparation. I certainly do not like the looks of a NASA warning of a once-in-a-generation space story. The potential for a crippling of earth’s technology infrastructure has low appeal.
Are you familiar with the negative potential of a terrorist-related EMP attack, which would not need to be a high altitude attack to cripple a major city? Major population centers are at highest risk. I cannot imagine a condition where a family would not want to be prepared. What is the downside of preparing yourself for an event with devastating potential? I suggest that you conduct a personal audit of your family’s vulnerabilities.
The more important the city and surrounding suburbs, the more the potential for chaos. In the past, I have suggested devoting 1% of your liquid net worth to personal security. If you should feel that my minimal 1% target seems desperately high, my guess is that you may not have conducted much of a vulnerability/risk analysis. Remember at the start of your analysis, all non-EMP-shielded electronics systems will become instantly kaput. I doubt you would wish to be in an elevator or traveling on a high-speed interstate or in a small plane in such a setting. And, of course, that’s just scratching the surface.
Inertia is a big problem for most folk. Who the heck wants to spend much time worrying about personal security? Well, I probably am more paranoid and conservative than are most of you. In truth, I wrap personal and financial security in the same comfort blanket. I spend time daily on personal security issues as well as on financial issues. I refer to my program as adopting The Swiss Way. The Swiss, due to a land-locked, neutral status, became expert on personal security many decades ago and follow through with a practical approach to financial security. The Swiss are expert on currency theory and inflation as well as on the long-term value of precious metals. This thinking is ingrained in the Swiss psyche.
OK, so here is a great starter move the most reticent among you can take. Set up Faraday cages for your most important electronics gear. Click to Amazon.com and punch in J.M. Cremp’s ammo boxes and order a few .50 caliber metal military surplus ammo boxes. Place a fully charged Apple iPad, for example, in a cardboard box. (You do not want your sensitive electronics touching the metal surface of your .50 cal ammo box.) Insert your boxed iPad into a EMP bag, available from techprotectbag.com, drop it in your .50 cal ammo box, and crank your metal box shut. You will instantly have created a first rate Faraday cage. Your cage will protect your vital electronics from terrorist-related EMP problems or solar flares. You can protect lager equipment with steel, aluminum or copper metal trashcans that you have lined with cardboard (including the lid).
For a great test, place a turned-on FM portable radio in your trashcan and then open and close the lid a few times. Your radio will continue playing with the lid open, but will turn off with the lid shut, which chokes off FM availability.
With little effort, you can make some cheap and easy moves that will stand you and the fam in a much improved position should solar flares become the problem NASA is warning about for 2013. And you have spent peanuts in the process. Kinda puts a smile on your face, does it not? In part D, I will suggest some pretty cool special items for your Faraday box. You may not have thought about this group.
Warm regards,
Dick
