Solar Storms: Are You Ready

The following article asks the question: Could the upcoming solar storms create a $2 trillion 'global Katrina' disaster. You should read it and others like it an familiarize yourself with the effects of solar storms.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/feb/21/solar-storms-global-katrina


If you haven't heard, many scientists are predicting that the next solar maximum that we are approaching now, may be larger than any we have seen in the last 150 years, since the Carrington event of 1859. This may not seem very scary, but the last time we had a really big solar flare impact on the earth, we didn't have the electrical technology that we have now. We now rely on our technology, not only to support our comfortable lifestyle, but also to artificially support our large population. In other world, we have built a fragile system of food production and delivery that is entirely dependent on a fragile, aging, and vulnerable electrical grid.


To counter this threat, you need to be able to survive in a world without electricity for an unknown period of time. This can only be achieved by acquiring redundant methods and systems to provide for your daily needs. In my case, I rely on an electric water well pump to provide water to my home for drinking, cooking, etc. If we lose the electrical grid due to a solar storm or other cause, I will still need water to survive. I have made the following preparations to ensure that I will continue to have water in the event of a disaster. First, I have two generators that can provide electricity to operate my well pump, one that runs on gasoline or propane (duel fuel), and one that is PTO driven by my diesel tractor. If the solar storm, or flare, affects these devices, I also have a dipping bucket that fits inside of the casing pipe of the well, and can be lowered on a rope or cable to retrieve water. To fit inside of the well casing pipe, the shape of this bucket is tall and thin. 


In addition to water, you also need to be able to provide food, shelter, and warmth for yourself and family. This means you need to store up food now. You might be able to grow food or hunt and gather eventually, but you need a stock pile of canned and dried food to hold you over until you get up and running. Growing food takes time and hunting and gathering are seasonal activities. If you don't have enough food to last until you get spooled up on your other methods of food procurement, you will starve. Shelter is pretty easy if we had to live like our forefathers, chances are, you already have a home, which should continue to provide shelter. One thing you might need to do however is to increase your security. Many people in the past had to defend their homes from natives and barbarians, and that will likely be a concern in any post disaster scenario. As for heat, everyone needs to be able to warm some part of their home without electricity. This usually means using propane, natural gas, or wood in a short term disaster, but in a long term disaster, wood is really the only option. Propane and natural gas will run out eventually with no reasonable expectation of resupply. I personally use electricity to heat my home primarily, but I also have a wood burning stove. My wood stove is rated to 30 below 0, however, when it gets really cold, a wood stove may only heat one or two rooms. It also takes a lot of wood. In a cold area, if it were your only heat source; you might burn 5 cords per winter. That is not really a problem, you just need to understand how much it is going to use and plan accordingly. You cannot afford to run out of wood, it could be a fatal mistake. Many homes today are built with a fireplace that will burn wood, if your fireplace will not burn wood, convert it now.


-Richard