{"id":54627,"date":"2022-11-15T05:30:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T09:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=54627"},"modified":"2022-11-13T09:22:53","modified_gmt":"2022-11-13T13:22:53","slug":"practical-engineering-how-would-a-nuclear-emp-affect-the-power-grid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/11\/practical-engineering-how-would-a-nuclear-emp-affect-the-power-grid\/","title":{"rendered":"Practical Engineering: How Would a Nuclear EMP Affect the Power Grid?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_51854\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Power-Outage-Power-Lines-1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-51854\" class=\"size-full wp-image-51854\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Power-Outage-Power-Lines-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"846\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Power-Outage-Power-Lines-1.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Power-Outage-Power-Lines-1-300x212.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Power-Outage-Power-Lines-1-1024x722.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Power-Outage-Power-Lines-1-768x541.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Power-Outage-Power-Lines-1-624x440.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-51854\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Parker Coffman on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Many thanks to <em>SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Mark Hirst who shares the following video from Practical Engineering on YouTube:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"625\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FksEGpBLfis?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/FksEGpBLfis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to view on YouTube.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>As I&#8217;ve mentioned in past articles, I believe taking some precautions against EMPs is important. While I feel that an intentional nuclear EMP is unlikely, our local star can cause even more damage to an even larger portion of our planet if it decides to cause a solar storm like <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/might-be-a-good-idea-to-protect-your-gear-scientists-believe-the-carrington-event-was-not-unique\/\">the Carrington Event<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For an in-depth look at practical ways you can protect your gear from EMPs (and dispel a few myths), <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/emp-radio-preparedness-primer-1-understanding-an-electromagnetic-pulse-emp\/\">check out our interview with Dave (NM0S) in this EMP primer<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst who shares the following video from Practical Engineering on YouTube: Click here to view on YouTube. As I&#8217;ve mentioned in past articles, I believe taking some precautions against EMPs is important. While I feel that an intentional nuclear EMP is unlikely, our local star can cause even [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,553],"tags":[6531,2524,5458,10008],"class_list":["post-54627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-preparedness","tag-electromagnetic-pulse","tag-emp","tag-mark-hirst","tag-practical-engineering"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-ed5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":64187,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/practical-engineering-the-bizarre-bases-of-antenna-towers\/","url_meta":{"origin":54627,"position":0},"title":"Practical Engineering: The Bizarre Bases of Antenna Towers","author":"Thomas","date":"October 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Mark Hirst, who shares the following note: One of my favourite channels just posted a video on the structural engineering challenges of tall radio masts. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3nDdLiXS5wk Mark This is a fascinating video. Thank you, Mark!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mount-Pisgah-Tower-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mount-Pisgah-Tower-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mount-Pisgah-Tower-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mount-Pisgah-Tower-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28078,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/emp-radio-preparedness-primer-1-understanding-an-electromagnetic-pulse-emp\/","url_meta":{"origin":54627,"position":1},"title":"EMP Radio Preparedness Primer: Understanding the Electromagnetic Pulse","author":"Thomas","date":"September 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Here on the SWLing Post we tend to cover topics related to shortwave radio, ham radio and international broadcasting. We also cover an array of other topics our contributors and readers find appealing. Lately, I've noticed an uptick in one particular question--at least, variations of it--from readers and people who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Sony-SW-11-Aluminum-foil.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Sony-SW-11-Aluminum-foil.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Sony-SW-11-Aluminum-foil.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Sony-SW-11-Aluminum-foil.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29207,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/the-1770-solar-storm-that-turned-the-skies-red-for-a-week\/","url_meta":{"origin":54627,"position":2},"title":"The 1770 solar storm that turned the skies red for a week","author":"Thomas","date":"November 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Wired UK via\u00a0Mark Hirst) Records kept by people living in Korea, China and Japan in 1770 have revealed evidence for the longest geomagnetic storm in recorded history Almost 250 years ago, for over two weeks, the skies above parts of Asia lit up in what looked like a burst\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/CME-Via-Spaceweather.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":37987,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/hamvention-highlights-the-palstar-tr-30a-emp-an-emp-hardened-hf-transceiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":54627,"position":3},"title":"Hamvention Highlights: The Palstar TR-30A EMP, an EMP-hardened HF transceiver","author":"Thomas","date":"May 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Each year at the Dayton Hamvention I enjoy checking out the latest radio products and services. This year (2019) I found an exceptional number of innovations and will share these in Hamvention Highlights posts. If you would like to check out 2019 Hamvention Highlights as I publish them, bookmark this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ham Radio&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_3363.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_3363.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_3363.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_3363.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31292,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/ever-ready-model-n-attache-case-radio-spotted-in-charity-shop\/","url_meta":{"origin":54627,"position":4},"title":"Ever Ready Model N attache case radio spotted in charity shop","author":"Thomas","date":"March 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst, who writes: A vintage radio appeared briefly in one of my local charity shops. A little Googling turned up this video (part 1 of 2) showing an example in operation: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gsklRHrIeOI Click here to view Part 1 on YouTube. https:\/\/youtu.be\/l87UQk9eFwo Click here\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AM&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Attache-Case-Radio-Briefcase-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Attache-Case-Radio-Briefcase-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Attache-Case-Radio-Briefcase-1024x768.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28364,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/last-week-earth-dodged-a-powerful-x-class-solar-flare\/","url_meta":{"origin":54627,"position":5},"title":"Last week, Earth dodged a powerful X-Class solar flare","author":"Thomas","date":"September 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Michael Guerin, who shares this article at CNN by\u00a0Dr. Don Lincoln, a senior physicist at Fermilab and researcher at the Large Hadron Collider: Earth dodges a cosmic bullet -- for now Solar flares and related phenomena could cause tremendous damage to the Earth's electric grids,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ham Radio&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/X-class-Flare.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/X-class-Flare.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/X-class-Flare.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/X-class-Flare.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54627"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54628,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54627\/revisions\/54628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}