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There’s a very short answer to the question posed in the title of this article: Virtually every technological device with a microchip that is not shielded properly would be destroyed in an EMP blast.
This may shock you, or it may not. If you’ve done any research on EMPs (electromagnetic pulses), you’ve no doubt heard about how horrible an EMP attack could be.
You’ve no doubt heard horror stories about how cars will crash, planes will fall from the sky, the lights will go off, angry mobs will fill the streets, and cities will turn into war zones. Some studies argue that up to 90% of the population could be killed from disease, starvation, dehydration, suicide, vehicle-related accidents, and murder in the months after an EMP has gone off across the country.
Can this happen during an EMP attack? Certainly. There’s no denying that an EMP would change life as you know it over the long term, especially if it were to affect the entire country and not just your city or area.
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But at the same time, an EMP would most likely not take out every single electronic item in existence. There are many technical and electronic items that would most likely survive an EMP.
In this article, we’ll talk about how an EMP could damage electronic devices, items that would be destroyed by the EMP, and items that could survive it.
How Will An EMP Damage Electronic Devices?
There are two primary ways by which an EMP could damage or destroy electronics.
The first way is through a ‘radio wave’ attack that hits the electronics directly. Any electronic devices with antennas or wires will be the most vulnerable to attack.
The second way is through the power grid. Tons of miles of electric wires that are strung all over the country will allow the high voltage created by the EMP to travel and become absorbed. Surge protectors that are used for keeping electronic equipment safe will not be effective at protecting devices from the EMP.
Everyday Items That Would Be Destroyed By The EMP
With the above information in mind, here are the everyday items that would be destroyed by an EMP:
1. Anything Connected To A Charger
Any electronic devices that are connected to a charger or electrical outlet when the EMP goes off are going to be toast.
So if you have a laptop, TV, phone, or tablet plugged into an outlet when the EMP goes off, it’s practically guaranteed that you’re just going to have to kiss them goodbye.
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You better get used to reading books instead of watching TV after the EMP goes off.
2. Heaters
Heaters, especially electric heaters, are most certainly going to get fried as well. This is because the electronic control circuits, the electronically controlled pumps, and the ignitor transformers are all going to get fried. (DIY heaters will be fine.)
Even if they survive, if the electrical grid is down, then electronic heaters are not going to last anyway. As for other kinds of heaters, such as portable heaters, they should survive so long as they lack electronic controls.
A good rule of thumb to follow is this: If your heaters plug into the wall or have electronic controls, chances are good they won’t survive the EMP. Otherwise, they should be safe.
3. Cars
Any car that has an electronic ignition and computerized parts is going to get damaged if not completely fried by an EMP. Modern cars have a vast number of computerized components. In fact, all cars built since the 1980s contain computerized components.
As we’ll discuss later, some cars will survive an EMP attack, depending on when they are built. But most cars running on the road when the EMP goes off are going to immediately shut off, which is why millions of people will die instantly from car accidents if the EMP affects the entire country.
That being said, it really depends on the strength of the EMP device in regards to whether cars will work. Some controlled tests have been conducted that showed cars shutting off when an EMP device went off, only for the cars to run again later.
Besides cars, other vehicles such as ATVs, motorcycles, planes, and so on that contain computerized components are going to be fried by the EMP as well.
As for electric/hybrid cars, they will certainly be taken out by an EMP. And even if they somehow miraculously survive the EMP, the electrical outlets used to power them won’t.
4. Solar Panels*
There’s an asterisk to this one for a reason: solar panels can withstand an EMP very well, but the solar charger controller that charges the batteries, and the voltage inverter that converts the power created from that battery, are going to be in bad shape.
Unless you have another voltage inverter and solar charger controller stored in a Faraday cage, your solar panels aren’t going to do you much good.
5. Battery Powered Devices*
There’s an asterisk next to this one as well because certain battery-powered devices should survive an EMP so long as several criteria are met (yes, this includes your phone).
First and foremost, the devices cannot be connected to a charger in the wall or to the electrical outlet in any way, shape, or form.
Secondly, they should be in a metal or concrete building that could essentially act as a makeshift Faraday cage. If you’re outside of any such building when an EMP attack happens, they will most likely get fried or at least damaged.
Not only does this include phones and tablets, it also includes items such as flashlights (so keep candles on hand as backups).
6. Computer Operated Homes
Computer operated homes are not going to fare well in an EMP. This means your voice activated and touch screen appliances are not going to be in working order after the EMP goes off thanks to the fact that they are built out of solid state components.
7. Pacemakers
Unfortunately, people who rely on pacemakers and who are in close enough proximity to the EMP blast are most likely going to die after the EMP goes off.
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8. Running Water
When an EMP goes off, the days of you turning on your sink in the kitchen or bathroom to receive running water are going to be cut short. This is because running water is connected to the power grid (they need power to pump water into the water towers). Speaking of which…
9. The Power Grid
It’s not an everyday item, per se, but it is something that we all rely on each and every day.
The power grid is going to be taken out by an EMP that goes off within a certain radius, and perhaps over the entire country or North American continent if it’s powerful enough and released high enough in the atmosphere.
What Everyday Items Will Survive The EMP?
What are some everyday electronic items that will survive an EMP? Try any of these:
Solar Panels*
As we just noted, even though the voltage inverters and solar charger controllers of solar panels are not going to survive an EMP, the solar panels themselves should be relatively unharmed.
Older Cars
If you have cars that were made before 1990, there is a chance they will survive an EMP. Since 1990, the number of microprocessors and electronic circuitry in vehicles has increased substantially.
There are a number of old makes and models of cars that should survive an EMP just fine. Examples include Toyota Hi-Lux pickup trucks, Chevrolet and GMC Blazers, Ford Broncos, Jeep Cherokees, and Land Rovers that were made before 1990 (or before 1985 in the case of the Blazers and Broncos).
Simple Electronic Devices
Any simple electronic device that lacks solid state controls should be unharmed by an EMP. Examples include power tools, generators, and appliances.
While any solid state controls are going to get fried by an EMP, the rest of the components in those devices should still be in good condition. Just make sure you don’t have anything connected to an electrical charger or to the electric grid, or else they WILL get fried.
Battery-Powered Devices
Again, battery-powered devices that are not connected to the power grid and are inside a metal or concrete building should survive an EMP.
Conclusion
If there’s anything that you take away from this article, it’s this: some items will survive an EMP, and some won’t.
But if you do want to increase the odds of electronic items surviving, the best thing you can do is build a Faraday cage and keep items in there until the EMP goes off. You can build Faraday cages out of metal trash cans, or out of cardboard boxes and aluminum foil.
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The Amish won’t notice.Get everything to run on 12volts and you won’t need to have a inverter just keep a extra charge controller and solar panel with extra rechargeable lights in a Faraday cage.I suggest at least garden and get a root cellar (even if it’s just a garbage can burried in the ground.
F#@K the Farraday boxes!!! I would just be grateful Not to be in an airplane ✈️ when the EMP hits!!! Anything after that is gravy!!!
As long as there is life, there is hope!! ……..And while it would really suck, you could figure it out for the most part!!! One of the many reasons I am anxious to get the Hell out of the city!!
If you are remote and have access to guns, you should be good to go for the most part.
It will be boring to some degree, but it will also be an interesting challenge: ……The Amish will certainly be popular!!! ……..People will pay good money 💰 to learn from them!!
I don’t know how you could think it would be boring? After about a week (if not sooner) you will be fighting for your life every minute of every day. Those of us in remote areas know that within days we will have to fight off the people that come from the cities looking for food and safety. Hunting for game sounds like a good plan but the game won’t last very long. Most of us are heavily armed but you can’t win a fight against hundreds of hungry people who will also be heavily armed and will do whatever it takes to feed their families. I think you will find it all quite exciting if you like that type of excitement 🙂
You can not build Faraday cages out of metal trash cans, or out of cardboard boxes and aluminum foil, I tried and the radio was receiving the signal, the best option is a microwave oven or if you have money to spend, you can buy a faraday box
we made a faraday cage out of a galvanized trash can with a lit and lined it with cardboard and styrofoam , used metal tape to seal it and it works fine, no reception for a cell phone inside it at all
Older cars, if they have an alternator as opposed to a generator, the diodes in the alternator will fail, if open good, if shorted then could cause a fire.
Why anyone thinks that solar panels are safe, I don’t know, solar cells are diodes and will surely be destroyed by any emp
Isn’t any car made of steel a faraday cage?
When a car is hit by lightning the electricity will flow harmlessly around the car and then arc from the lowest metal point and into the ground. This is why people are told to stay inside their car if they hit a power pole and a live wire is on top of the car. The electronics inside the car are never, or at least rarely damaged. With plastic or fiberglass cars this does not work. So, any steel car, regardless of age, would be perfectly fine in an EMP strike. Windows in a car have nothing to do with anything, again, it’s the metal shell of the car that acts like a faraday cage.
And what is your assessment of EMP-proof bags such as the TechProtect for small electronics and devices? Doesn’t need to be a full-on Farady cage or metal trash can, does it?
I’m far from expert. Read a few “expert” theories (vs. facts; because no one is sure) and am making semi-educated guesses myself. Most solar panels contain at least one blocking diode which may get fried by a high intensity pulse (the solar panel itself may not operate properly, if at all). If you have solar panels as back up power, get some spare diodes and protect them. And not all flashlights will die. Old style incandescent bulb flashlight should be fine (as will stored batteries). They have a simple switch and solid metal connections. I’d keep a few around just in case. LED (diode) types may not survive depending on pulse intensity. No one really knows what will be affected and/or to what extent . Few large scale tests have been run in recent years. Most are, at best, speculations based on physics, electromagnetic principles, and low level “tests”. All we can really do is have as many non-electronic (manual) back ups as possible and attempt to protect critical items with the best theory available. God help us…
1) If you think an EMP blast is bad, wait until you learn about the nuclear detonation that makes it.
2) A device that makes just the electromagnetic pulse is not a weapon in any nations inventory.
that will soon change. Some countries are working on building such a device.
America is probably working on one. The Chinese are getting there.
N.K 50/ 50
Question about solar panels . What about the wiring on backs of solar panels that are used for connecting panels to other panels and then to charge controllers/inverters