12% chance that Earth will be hit within 10 years

originally posted by: butcherguy
How many people would have a means of detecting radiation on hand?

It would be useful when a whole lot of nuclear power plants melted down like Fukushima did as they run out of diesel fuel for their emergency generators that would power cooling water pumps.

I would imagine that in the situation that you describe, with no working electronic devices available, the best option would be a map, a compass(hoping polarity hasn't changed) and a thick black marker to place the x's

a reply to: Irishhaf

Is it just me or is surviving the Initial chaos of a SHTF scenario based a lot on Luck?

It's not so hard to figure out the probable course of events which will occur in your immediate vicinity. Just step outside your door and look. If you're (planning to be) on foot, figure out how far you can carry your bug-out-bag ... and then realize you might make 1/10th to 1/4th that distance when SHTF.

People who team-up will fare better than people on their own.

Since only one side of earth faces the sun at any given time it can never be a global event. It's not harmful to life except I guess if you have a pacemaker. We'd see a big increase in generator sales that's for sure. Plus think of the jobs that would be created.

originally posted by: Jonjonj
Does anyone remeber that so called comment by Werner Von Braun about how things would pan out? There would be first the Russians, then terrorism, then asteroids and finally aliens. Is it just me? But it seems like they are playing all four cards at ONCE!

where are the aliens in this scenario? Oh you mean at the southern US border?

Fire places and kerosene heaters. a reply to: Cohen the Barbarian

Thanks for that. Someone has to have confidence that we're not a bunch of monkeys. Rebuilding would begin immediately and mini systems would serve until it's back up. Not that it will be all peaches and cream but people lived for millions of years without electricity. a reply to: PsychoEmperor

I don't think so. We've gone for weeks without electricity here in hurricane land. We go without blow drying our hair and yes it looks different but once the power comes back on and it will you and I will still be fluffing our hair with hot forced air while our toast browns nicely next to the Mr. Coffee and the cable tv telling us all about how people got by during the crisis. a reply to: Cuervo

originally posted by: Ghost147
On one of my news sources I had read an interesting article that lead me to a lot of contemplation. It mentions that back on July 23, 2012 a massive solar storm had just missed Earth, and it would have sent us back to the stone age for years. This was actually a VERY close hit.

www.extremetech.com...

While you didn’t see it, feel it, or even read about it in the newspapers, Earth was almost knocked back to the Stone Age on July 23, 2012.

Did NASA lie by omission and not tell anyone until today?

"buh-but it was to stop panicking!! 1"

I thought I read that NASA released a story just two days later. Obviously they can't forewarn people so don't see the avoiding panic story coming into play. u reply to: igor_ats

originally posted by: AutumnWitch657
Fire places and kerosene heaters. a reply to: Cohen the Barbarian

I'm continually amazed at the fact that people can't see past their own front doors. Believe it or not, the majority of homes in America do not have a fireplace, but of the ones that do, the vast majority are gas fireplaces or worse, pellet stoves, which need electricity to operate. You cannot build a wood fire in a gas fireplace (or a pellet stove). Also, most homes with a wood fireplace do not have access to an unending supply of wood, nor are the homeowners prepared to cut it. No gasoline, no deliveries. Note (this is important) that I said there would be people at various levels of preparedness but they would be in the minority.

Kerosene heaters need to be vented, so leaving a window or door open somewhat mitigates the heat generated. Note again, I didn't say it renders a kerosene heater useless, just inefficient. IOW, a not insignificant amount of fuel is used to warm the outside. How many people do you know that have a couple of 50-gallon drums of kerosene sitting around? If you're at all familiar with kerosene heaters you know they're hungry beasts.

If a CME event of the level considered in this thread were to happen, it would in all likelihood take out most of the transformers in the world's power grids. With few exceptions power companies have been loathe to tie up capital in stored spares. Now guess where those transformers are manufactured? (China, IIRC.) How long does it take to manufacture one (assuming the company of origin still has the intact infrastructure to power the manufacturing facility? (Six months to a year, and they aren't set up for mass orders.) Keep in mind this type of CME would not affect just one country, it would well affect the entire world.

a reply to: Cohen the Barbarian
Good points.
I remember seeing before and after photos of cities in the Balkans when they had all their troubles during the Clinton Administration. The streets were lined with trees in the before shots, after the first winter of discontent, no trees, bushes or even trash.... all had been burned for heat.

BC, Canada would be the place to hangout after the CME, plenty of trees for fuel!

a reply to: Snarl

Well here is what got me wondering, I live in Oklahoma and spring of 2013 we had a bad tornado running right down the interstate through OKC heading west to east, a couple of 20+ year experienced meteorologists starting telling people to get in their cars and run south get out of the path.

That seemed like the dangerous choice to me, so I geared up heavy boots, pants, leather jacket helmet gloves got my dogs with me in the center of the house and hunkered down cause there was a good chance it was going through my neighborhood... scared me bad enough I called the wife told her to stay where she was and I would call her as soon as I could.

Well it was probably 45 seconds form me when it did something these very experienced guys had never seen it jumped south, somehow it didn't kill anyone but there was a lot of people on the interstate with no cover or protection because something happened that nobody alive today had ever seen.

That got me wondering just how well can you prepare, storms can do things people have never seen... another country could launch a surprise attack detonating an EMP weapon while your in the air, a previously quiet fault could suddenly let rip with a 7.0+ while your away from home, the list is endless... it seems to me you have to accept that while you could prepare for everything your mind could imagine something unforeseen could finish you off.

Don't get me wrong I don't think people should not prep, heck in my opinion if you don't have at least 3 months supply of food, and 50+ gallons of water storage and a bug out bag your nuts.

Its just that I see and read about so many people stating proudly that I am prepared for anything, maybe I am silly but I don't like tempting fate.

Anyways enough rambling I hear Jameson's calling and then I am off to sleep.

If they can see a CME coming one thing they can do a full grid shutdown.

And open all connections on the grid.

It would not protect everything but it would save a lot of equipment.

Anyone's home with a back up generator that has a automatic transfer switch will likely have less damage.