Power companies prepare as solar storms set to hit Earth

Power companies prepare as solar storms set to hit Earth

ca.news.yahoo.com

Three large explosions from the Sun over the past few days have prompted U.S. government scientists to caution users of satellite, telecommunications and electric equipment to prepare for possible disruptions over the next few days.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The stock markets, now this, if this causes substantial damage as apparently it will go as far south as Minnesota and Wisconsin it could cause problems with power outages if the infrastructure is not up to code.

Quebec got hit years ago leaving 6 million people without power, my suggestion is stock up.

ca.news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by hypr2011


Re-read the article. It said that the aurora borialis was seen as far south as Mn in 1989 when the last big storm caused outages in Canada for a few hours. Not such a big deal and no need to stock up. Whats a few hours without power? Cook out and enjoy a camp fire and tell ghost stories.

Sorry guys your are too late already gone

www.swpc.noaa.gov...

But the show was amazing:
Aurora Borealis


And about the 1989 black out dont freak out with that it's was not that bad.

I think stocking up for any situation is wise. My small town recently lost power for 6 hrs (the whole town) and the stores and restaraunts ALL closed, because without power there is no cash register. If you are out of toilet paper etc., you won't be able to buy it.

Keep plenty of supplies on hand for the barbequer too. Without power you can't use the stove or microwave.

And don't forget the electronic gas pumps... they take electricity too.

Yeah a few hours without power here in Oklahoma, would be pretty crappy, considering yesterday it got over 110, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. We had our power go out for a few hours in July, it wasn't this hot, but it was nice not having any real distractions from my family for a few hours. I finally had a real excuse not to do anything that required electricity, like washing clothes, or cooking. Boy, what a life change that would be if there were no electrical appliances to help us with our chores. A days work would really be a days work and not a few hours. I got a little carried away sorry. lol. The dreamers mind wanders too often.

Originally posted by karen61057

Re-read the article. It said that the aurora borialis was seen as far south as Mn in 1989 when the last big storm caused outages in Canada for a few hours. Not such a big deal and no need to stock up. Whats a few hours without power? Cook out and enjoy a camp fire and tell ghost stories.

edit on 6-8-2011 by karen61057 because: (no reason given)

No big deal huh? Have a cookout? Where in a city of 8 million people, specifically New York City, is one supposed to camp out, cooking weeinies and S'mores? Have you forgotten the chaos into which the city descended in 1977 when the they lost power for a few hours?



After our most recent ice storm in South Carolina a couple of years ago, some parts of upper SC and lower NC were without power for THREE WEEKS. Fortunately (?) only about 10,000 people were affected for any extended lengths of time and surrounding areas had power, so food was obtainable for those who could drive for an hour to get to an open store. Earlier storms in 2002, 1999, and 1996 left MILLIONS without power, forcing them to seek shelter wherever they could.

12.5.2002 - Millions of people shivered without electricity Thursday in the Carolinas as one of the worst ice- and snowstorms in years snapped tree limbs, snarled air travel around the country and kept children home from school in a large part of the East. At least 20 deaths had been blamed on the storm since it blew across the southern Plains earlier in the week. Up to a foot of snow fell in places from New Mexico to North Carolina.

12.6.2002 - Ice-laden tree limbs falling on power lines left millions of people in the Carolinas without electricity for lights and heat Thursday.

The sound of breaking limbs and trees was common throughout much of North Carolina as the storm pummeled the state. Even after the ice and sleet changed to rain, branches continued cracking under the weight of accumulated ice.

North Carolina State University in Raleigh closed for the day.

Charlotte also opened its convention center and coliseum to allow residents to sleep in warmth, although they had to bring their own sleeping bags. - Source

Is there a difference between a solar storm and an ice storm? Sure. My point is that should the electrical grid fail for any reason, people will panic, loot, and riot - especially in big cities - when they don't know where their next meal is coming from. The national electrical grid we depend on for everything from gasoline and food deliveries, communications, heating and cooling, etc., is just as vulnerable to a CME as it is to an unexpected ice storm in the southern states. If it fails, even for a few hours, people will die.

Sounds like a pretty big deal to me.

Originally posted by Dolby_X
Sorry guys your are too late already gone

www.swpc.noaa.gov...

But the show was amazing:
Aurora Borealis


And about the 1989 black out dont freak out with that it's was not that bad.

edit on 6-8-2011 by Dolby_X because: (no reason given)

Amazing photos thankyou so much for sharing! I'm so envious have wanted to see that for most of my life...

Question:does anyone here know if the old-style "mom n pop"-style gas station pumps take electricity? This got me thinking, the closest one is two hour drive round trip.

reply to post by tinker9917


Well you have to assume so. Thing is theres no other way to get the job done. Somewhere along the line, there has to be an electric motor pumping the fuel, because to use a thermal powersource to pump a flammable and potentialy explosive liqud would be utterly insane. The age of the equipment determines the effectiveness of the delivery of fuel, and how many safety features are present in the pump, the nozzle, and the storage systems.

Other than that the only difference at a traditional petrol station, would be that at a traditional one, you may get service... at a modern one, you will get some guy behind a shielded glass screen with an intercom and featuring a heat it yourself microwave and attendant foodstuffs.That is all .