1. The Risks of an EMP
Rebecca Sadosky,
Terrell Brown

2. Risks by Perspective and Yield
Dst (nT/min)
EMP sources
Area affected
Notable effects
Hundreds, low thousands
Geomagnetic storms from solar flares or CMEs
Continental or larger
Dangerous overvoltages, transformer burnouts, massive surges
High thousands, ten thousands
Lightning at about 1 km distance
Highly local
Surges, blown fuses, damage to connected electrical equipment
Hundred thousands
Lightning at about 200 m
Computer crashes (possibly permanent damage), blown up power transformers, power outages in parts of city. Fires around electrical equipment.
Millions and tens of millions
Nuclear EMPs at high altitude, nuclear EMPs from close-by small nuclear weapons, lightning within a few meters
Varies
Permanent damage to microelectronics, some erasure and corruption of magnetic media
Hundreds of millions and up
Conventional EMP weapons
Very small
Disabled vehicles including operating aircraft; numerous small fires, and arcing wherever there's metal
Source: “EMP, Debunked: The Jolt That Could Fry the Cloud”, John Barnes, Information Week, 9/15/2014

3. Lightning? Yes, Lightning…
If you’re not already protected against lightning strikes, you’re already in a lot of trouble.

4. Coronal Mass Ejections
NASA - 
Space Weather Prediction Center - NOAA -

5. Coronal Mass Ejections
Happens Occasionally Over History
Notable Occurrences
Solar Storm of 1859, called the Carrington Event, disabled telegraph communications
Hydro Quebec power outage lasted nine hours
Rare Event, a few or less every one-
hundred years
Difficult to Prevent Downtime without having basic protections in place
Ground, circuit overload protection, early warning systems will help

6. Weaponized EMP APELC – Applied Physical Electronics L.C.
Suitcase System
Very localized, city blocks or smaller
High Altitude Explosion Strategic Nuclear Warhead
Regional EMP Damage, but Continental?
Tactical Nuclear Weapons – Localized EMP Damage

7. Weaponized EMP Suitcase/Small Form Factor
The tactical or precision attack
Banks, vehicle or building alarm systems, PLC’s,
Also called an IEMI Device
Intentional Electromagnetic Interference
They can be built or purchased
Expensive and difficult to acquire
Dangerous but for small physical areas or very close electronics
Probably your most likely threat but least damaging depending on the severity of the system affected
May also come in the form of an EMP “gun” such as a
high attenuated antenna with transmitter
APELC Suitcase System
Information Unlimited -

8. Weaponized EMP Nuclear Weapons Tactical
Tactical is localized, city level or smaller area,
A low yield warhead would create a small area EMP, would cause loss of power and electronic devices in the affected area if they are not protected to some degree
Perhaps basic or intermediate protections would help
Maintain backup equipment in shield storage, use shielded cabling, grounding systems and circuit overload protections, etc
Low risk and medium to high damage potential
depending on area/targets affected

9. Weaponized EMP Nuclear Weapons Strategic
large city, regional, or larger
Would interrupt communications over a large area, large EMP would likely result in damage of electronics and power distribution systems on a catastrophic level
To protect against an EMP of this magnitude is at least as difficult as protecting against direct lightning strikes
You will have bigger problems to worry about but if you can implement practical protections, then do it
Very low likelihood of occurring but greatest amount of damage and slowest recovery time.

10. So what are the actual risk?
Lightning produces EMP’s. It does not require a direct strike. Protection is an immediate necessity. Biggest and most common risk.
Geomagnetic storms brought on by CME’s do occur, this happens, the damage and disruption potential has been demonstrated. Find solutions to mitigate the problem and increase chances of recovery and reducing downtime. Medium to low risk.
Small area, easily carried/transported weapons are a significant risk. The technology can be built in a garage. It can be used to circumvent security systems or cause havoc on power, water, or any aspect of infrastructure. Medium to low risk.
Nuclear weapons, are not a likely threat. YES there are suspect leaders in the world but the only time a nuclear weapon was used in direct aggression was in 1945 and never have been since then. Very low risk.
If you can protect your infrastructure against a tactical or even strategic nuclear event, then you can survive almost anything.
But is it worth it?

11. QUESTIONS?