(Natural News)—Electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) can have catastrophic and devastating effects on society. EMPs can be caused by natural sources like solar flares, also known as coronal mass injections (CMEs), or man-made sources like non-nuclear and nuclear weapons used by governments and terrorists alike.
Whatever the cause, EMP incidents could damage significant portions of the nation’s critical infrastructure, including the electrical grid, communications equipment, water and wastewater systems and transportation, explained the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Follow these tips to survive the first three days after an EMP event:
Have a plan
Prepare for an EMP event ahead of time by routinely practicing drills with your family to ensure that every member knows what to do if an EMP event happens at home, at school or at work. Have a transportation plan – such as having bicycles or other non-electric modes of transportation.
If you all have practiced your “survival” plan, you will have already put a survival plan into action, especially when caught in the city during the day when it happens. (Related: Skills, strategies and supplies you’ll need to prep for an EMP, solar flares.)
No one is looking forward to an event like this, but IF and WHEN it does happen, what you do during the first 72 hours after an EMP event is crucial and to boost your chances of survival, here are steps to immediately take.
Stay calm
Assuming you practice preparedness, you know how important it is to stay calm and composed during a crisis. Stop where you are to get your bearing. Take deep breaths to calm your nerves, sit down to conserve your energy and think. Is there a way you can verify what has happened?
Assess your situation
Use all your senses to observe and assess the impact of the EMP on your immediate surroundings to help you prioritize your next actions. Are there any immediate dangers? Do you have access to food, water and shelter? Understanding your situation will help you prioritize your actions. (Related: 12 Tips to survive an EMP attack.)
Get home ASAP
If you’re not home when an EMP hits, consider finding a safe location to shelter until the immediate aftermath settles before you decide to go home. It is assumed that this safety action is known to all your family members as well whenever an emergency or disaster strikes.
Older model diesel vehicles with minimal electronics could survive an EMP event so make a move to get home before chaos happens and traffic piles up with roads clogged with abandoned vehicles.
If your car doesn’t work, be ready to abandon your vehicle, grab your get home bag from your vehicle and start walking. Get to your children (if you have any) as soon as possible and head home.
When possible, stop at stores that are still open to buy essential supplies, even when you have these in your emergency survival stash at home – you can never have enough to use or barter these essential survival items, as needed.
Prioritize your safety. Avoid unnecessary risks. Stay vigilant of potential dangers. Be cautious around downed power lines, unstable structures and potential criminal activity.
Secure your location
If you’re at home when an EMP event happens, you may need to initially stay indoors to avoid panicked crowds and avoid riots. (Related: EMP survival: 4 Ways to protect your home from an EMP attack.)
- Lock your doors and windows and reinforce them if necessary.
- Take your fire extinguisher with you (assuming you keep one or several in your home) and go around every nook and cranny in your home to check for electrical fires that may have resulted during the EMP event.
- Check all your electronics and separate those that still work from those that don’t.
- Once your home inspection is complete, go outside your house. Check your surrounding areas for scorched transformers, downed power lines, etc.
- Bug in until you have more information about what caused the EMP event. For instance, in case of a nuclear EMP attack, staying home will help you from the fallout to survive.
- Take stock of all your survival essentials (food, water, medicine, emergency gear, supplies, etc.) so you will know how to ration them in the next three days (or more).
Keep informed and updated
A portable shortwave radio can receive broadcasts from stations in regions of the world that are still “up and running: and could be your information lifeline after an EMP event.
Theoretically – because there hasn’t been any real “hands-on experience,” you can protect a portable shortwave/AM/FM radio from an EMP by wrapping it in a non-conductive material. Ensure that no metal part of your radio is exposed before you put it inside a zip lock bag where it fits. Then, firmly wrap the bag tight and well with aluminum foil. Repeat the process for even more protection before putting the now fully wrapped radio in yet another bag to protect its outer cover from tearing.
Establish communications
Citizens band (CB) radios and ham radio sets with solid metal casings, which act like a Faraday cage for its internals, might surprisingly still work after an EMP event.
Keep your sets, including the antenna disconnected from the power grid UNTIL you intend to use them following an EMP event. This way, you protect them from the surge of EMP energy, which can cause irreparable damage and even a fire. Additionally, the antenna can provide an entry point for the EMP to enter and fry the radio’s internals.
As with CB and ham radios, walkie-talkies use simple, rugged technology that is not particularly vulnerable to the effects of an EMP. So, consider investing in those that run on batteries – whether disposable primary cells or rechargeable secondary cells that are not directly vulnerable to the effects of EMPs.
Always keep any dedicated survival communications equipment sets in a Faraday cage or other protective enclosure in your survival stash, including an adequate supply of batteries.
Connect and reach out to whoever is also looking to see how you can support each other and share information and resources. Use the information you gather to help you and your family decide if it is wiser to bug in or bug out to a safer location.
Find more related stories at EMP.news. Watch this video to see what an EMP event looks like.
Sound off about this story on the Late Prepper Substack.
This video is from the GoneDark channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
- Possible scenarios following an EMP attack.
- 10 Things that will still work after an electromagnetic pulse attack.
- Personal safety and survival: Things to do after an EMP attack.
Sources include:
- CISA.gov
- SurvivalSkillZone.com
- Tactical.com
- Amazon.com
- ModernSurvivalBlog.com
- SurvivalSullivan.com
- Brighteon.com
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
