(Natural News) In the technology-dependent world we live in today, an EMP attack is one of the worst things that could happen. Surviving one requires a lot of preparation and planning. You need to understand first what an EMP is and what it can affect in our daily lives.

Understanding EMP

EMP stands for electromagnetic pulse, which is a short, intense burst of electromagnetic energy. Charged particles, usually electrons, accelerate rapidly and abruptly. This may occur during thunderstorms when lightning strikes the ground. A lightning strike produces an EMP that causes a sudden rise in electric current in nearby wires. This abrupt surge can literally burn out the wires, especially those tiny wires found in computers and electronic devices.

In contrast, the electric current flowing from huge generators of utility companies are steady and measured. Our electrical appliances and equipment have been tailored to receive this steady stream. Surge protectors, voltage regulators, AC outlets, modem jacks and grounding wires offer some protection against an EMP arising from a thunderstorm or a short-circuit along a power line nearby.

Types of EMP attacks

An EMP attack can be natural or man-made. A massive solar flare facing the Earth can send waves of charged particles streaming toward our planet, disrupting radio waves and destroying sensitive microcircuitry. On September 1, 1859, two eruptions on the sun's surface were observed by astronomer Richard Carrington. The immense solar flare launched a large cloud of charged particles toward the Earth and within minutes, electrical telegraph systems went awry. Sparks flew from the equipment, operators received shocks and bits of paper were set alight. If the disruption was widespread enough for people at that time to call it the Carrington Event, imagine the disruption — or destruction — that could happen if another solar flare of similar magnitude were to occur again.