Protecting yourself from Attacks on our Power Grid: Urban Centers will become Deathtraps

It’s something most people rarely think of, but the fact is our nation’s power grid is old, antiquated, and incredibly vulnerable to attacks and failures. For years we have warned our readers about the power grid threat and urged people to put this on the top of their threat list, but lately, the problem has taken on even more urgency as liberal politicians seem to be purposely sabotaging our country’s energy independence.

From spiking oil and gas prices to a growing list of enemies – both foreign and domestic – that see our power grid and infrastructure as a legitimate way to bring us down, we are entering an era where energy wars and threats will become something that we will all have to deal with at some point.

Whether it is from natural causes like extreme natural disasters or geo-magnetic events, or manufactured attacks like low-level terror attacks or an electro-magnetic pulse (EMPs) attack, one thing is for sure, it’s only a matter of time before something cripples our nation’s electric grid.

A hodgepodge of antiquated equipment and technology

Our nation’s power grid is a hodgepodge of antiquated equipment and technology, with a large portion of our grid still relying on 1960s and 70s technology. With administration after administration failing to do anything to secure our country’s power systems, our electrical infrastructure has become a patchwork of interconnected power generation plants, transmission facilities, distribution facilities, and over 400,000 miles of electric transmission lines — some of which actually dates back to the 1880s.

The U.S. Department of Energy says that 70% of U.S. transmission lines are more than 30 years old and the average age of large power transformers, which handle 90% of U.S. electricity flow, is more than 45 years. Outages between 2015 and 2020 averaged 9,656 annually, more than double the average of 4,609 during the previous six-year period.

Another problem that’s not often talked about is our nation’s dams. Throughout the Southwestern United States, much of its power comes from gigantic hydroelectric generation. Unfortunately, to help push their global warming scam, liberal politicians have mismanaged and, in many cases, allowed reservoirs to almost dry up. This has meant that electric power generation in many areas has been cut, and large power plants at Lake Mead in Nevada and Lake Powell in Arizona are incredibly close to being shut down as the reservoirs are depleted to critical levels.

How likely is a complete shutdown of our Power Grid?

While a complete shutdown of this nation’s power grid may sound unbelievable, the likelihood of it happening is pretty high. In fact, our government has known it for quite some time. Back in 2013, during a congressional hearing on national security, Congresswomen Yvette Clark (D-NY) testified that “The likelihood of a severe geomagnetic event capable of crippling our electric grid is 100%.”

While speaking at the International Electric Infrastructure Security Summit, Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) said, “We are only one act of madness away from a social cataclysm, unlike anything our country has ever known.” If an EMP attack ever hits this country, or even something that we know will eventually happen like a severe space weather catastrophe, this nation’s water supplies, delivery distribution systems, financial services, power grids, and vital services will come to a complete standstill.

How likely is an EMP attack or Severe Space Weather Catastrophe

The likelihood of us being attacked by an EMP really depends on who you talk to. While several nations possess the technology required to launch an attack, how likely they are to do it is really up for debate. What isn’t up for debate is the likelihood of being hit by a catastrophic coronal mass ejection (CME) or solar flare; it’s happened in the past and will happen again.

In 1859, just as the world started to rely on electricity, the Earth was hit by a massive solar flare. The event came to be known as the Carrington Event and gave us a taste of what could happen should we be hit by one of these massive solar flares today.

The CME that hit back in 1859 was so powerful that it could actually be observed with the naked eye.  It caused widespread damage to telegraph systems throughout the world. Telegraph operators received shocks, telegraph papers burst into flames, and aurora-induced electric currents sent power through telegraph machines allowing messages to be transmitted even after being disconnected.

If a Carrington size event were to hit the Earth today, the consequences would be devastating.

NASA scientists say that a direct hit to Earth from one of these solar events would have a catastrophic impact on the nation’s critical infrastructures, costing upwards of 2 trillion dollars in damage during the first year alone. Then, according to their best estimates, it would take at least four years to recover, with urban areas being hit especially hard.

Because of their total dependency on critical infrastructures for electricity, communications, food, and water delivery, banking and financial services, and even emergency services, highly populated urban centers would experience the brunt of the catastrophe and would likely see large amounts of death and chaos.

According to Frank Gaffney, a spokesman for the Center for Security Policy, within a year of an attack, “nine out of 10 Americans would be dead because we can’t support a population of the present size in urban centers and the like without electricity.” If that sounds a little high, consider Former CIA Bureau Chief Claire Lopez is also warning that “Within one year, it is estimated that 9 out of 10 of all Americans would be dead.”

What can you do to protect yourself from Attacks on our Power Grid?

The first step is to realize the severity of the problem and understand that the government will not be able to help during this type of disaster. Look at the disaster they caused during the COVID crisis; now consider these same idiots trying to fix a complete grid shutdown.

The simple fact is emergency management personnel have no contingency plans to deal with this type of event and would be overwhelmed in a matter of hours. If you need proof of this, just look at how they respond to routine events like hurricanes; now, imagine an event that would make those hurricanes look like an innocent summer breeze.

The second step is all about preparedness. You must be prepared to survive an extended period without power and essential services. This means stockpiling food and water, learning the skills you need to protect yourself and your family from the chaos that will ensue, and in my opinion, getting as far away from highly populated urban centers as you can.

If at all possible, you should look into purchasing some rural bug-out property, where you can head should you face a catastrophic collapse scenario. I think urban survival during this type of disaster will be almost impossible.

Shielding your Electronics from EMPs, CMEs, and Solar Flares.

You can do several things to protect your electronics from EMPs and Solar Flares. From installing surge protectors and shielding equipment on our everyday devices to storing backup electronics like ham radios and essential gear in EMP shielding bags or faraday cages, there are options out there for protecting your electronics.

Preparedness Resources

• Prepper 101: Your Survival Guide to Getting Started
• Emergency Preparedness Checklist: This applies to all disasters and threats.
• Have a stockpile of long-term Food Supplies and Water: 56 Long-Term Survival Foods and Supplies at the Grocery Store
• The Ultimate Situational Survival Guide: Self-Reliance Strategies for a Dangerous World Step-by-step instructions for home safety plans, evacuation plans, stockpiling emergency supplies and financial preparedness.