In this day in age, with the threat of nuclear war hanging over our heads, every single person should have the necessary preparations to deal with an EMP.
This type of electrical attack can change our lives so fast and it’s probably the thing we are ready for the least.
In this article, we’re diving into what this attack is, how you can prepare, and ten tips you need to know for surviving an EMP.
With certain countries in possession of nuclear missiles, an attack to our electrical grid and infrastructure is no longer just a conspiracy theory, but an actual threat.
It’s hard to imagine our lives without cellphones, cars, or Netflix let alone without running water, grocery stores, and electricity. It’s estimated that 90% of Americans would die from an EMP but after reading this you’ll be part of the lucky 10%.
Grab your bug out bag, we’re getting started!
What is an EMP?
The acronym “EMP” stands for electromagnetic pulse. This would occur if a nuclear weapon or even a natural electromagnetic event, were to occur high above the Earth’s surface.
If a weapon detonated ~250 miles over America, it would send an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) across all of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, frying every electronic device due to its abundance of radiation.
You may be familiar with your TV frying after lightning strikes your home. You can think of an EMP attack like this but on a much larger, more serious scale.
What Would That Look Like?
If an EMP attack occurred, it would wipe out our entire electrical grid and infrastructure. It would end life as we know it.
This means no electricity, no electronic banking, no running water. Your plumbing wouldn’t work, your car would stop mid-drive, trains would crash, your refrigerator would turn off, and your food will spoil.
Pacemakers would die, life support machines would turn off, back up generators would fry, and nuclear reactors would melt down.
Your cell phone wouldn’t work, and even if it did, there would be no service. If you were apart from your family, the only way to see them or communicate with them would be to walk or cycle to them. Not even your LED flashlight would work.
It’s likely we wouldn’t even be able to trigger our ballistic missile defense system in retaliation. The sole focus during an EMP is trying to stay alive. There’s no doubt there would be violence, looting, and extreme terror.
Let’s find out how to prepare for an emp attack.
10 Tips for Surviving an EMP:
If you’re interested in EMP survival, you’ll want to read through these 10 tips and commit them to memory to ensure your survival in the event of an EMP attack.
1. Gather the Essentials:
The reoccurring theme in this article is emp preparation, that means gathering items you’ll need to survive not just for weeks or months, but years.
Here are some essential things you should collect when preparing for a potential EMP attack.
EMP Preparedness Checklist:
- First Aid Kit (See tip 4)
- A bicycle or a car made before 1990
- Water
- Non-perishable food
- Generator
- Escape plan
- Resource Books (See tip 7)
- Off-grid lighting
- Off-grid ovens
- Fuel (charcoal, wood, propane)
- Weapons and Amo (See tip 8)
- Toiletries/Feminine products
- Faraday bag/cage/box (See tip 9)
- Games/Books/Cards for entertainment
- Tools
A well-prepared BOB can make the difference between surviving or not in such an emergency.
2. Learn to Negotiate:
Cash and coinage as currency will no longer play an important role in society after an EMP; it will be just an illusion. The money in your bank account will no longer exist and the cash you have on hand will soon be useless on account of hyperinflation.
Always keep $500-$2000 on hand for emergencies. After the EMP hits, you’ll want to head to your local store (on foot or bike since your car won’t work) and offer to buy whatever supplies and food you can before the looting begins.
Instead of cash, people will rely on trading goods. You will have the upper hand because not only did you prepare yourself for this situation, you prepared a bartering stockpile (see tip 3, down below).
You’ll now need to practice the art of negotiating much like you would before heading to a used car lot.
Be sure never the person you’re trading with know how much you have or what you’re willing to give away. Always start with half of what you’re willing to trade.
3. Gather a Bartering Stockpile:
Here are some things you should set aside specifically for trading purposes.
- Booze
- Weapons and Ammo
- Sweets/Snacks
- Coffee and Tea
- Non-perishable Food Items
- Fruit and Vegetable Seeds
- Gold and Silver Coins/Bars
- Toiletries and Personal Hygiene Items
- Feminine Hygiene products
- Twine/Rope/Cables
- Cigarettes
- Bottled Water
Never show up to a bartering trade alone. Have a minimum of two larger adults with you and it’s suggested you have another two or three adults watching from afar (through a scope).
Another good rule to follow for your safety is to never show up unarmed. Whether you conceal your weapon is your choice.
4. Learn the First Aid and Medical Basics:
You won’t be able to call 911 in the event you’re injured or sick. There won’t be ambulances to save you or hospitals to cure you. You’re truly on your own so you’ll need to prepare yourself for the worst.
It’s now your responsibility to keep you and your family safe and healthy. Stock your first aid kit with everything from supplies to heal infected cuts to tools to stitch a gunshot wound.
5. Learn Resourceful Hacks:
Learn useful life hacks like how to make an emergency well tube that will allow you to dig water from the earth or how to make a generator.
Read up on how to use and repurpose everyday items like garbage bags or rope into various things for multiple purposes. The name of the game is survival using only the things you have on you or in your pre-prepared shelter.
A little research on the right topics can go along way and if you don’t have time to do as much research as you wanted to, you can always collect the information now and read up on it later–which brings us to our next point.
6. Secure Backup Shelter:
Many preppers like to have a secluded shelter stocked and ready away from their home. Your house, likely in a neighborhood with other homes, can often pose as a target for looters, pillagers, and gangs.
7. Collect Resource Books:
It’s impossible to learn everything you need to prepare for an emergency. The best thing to do is to collect resources on topics you may need later in life, especially if an EMP attack occurs. You’ll no longer have access to the internet and you likely won’t be able to safely visit your local library.
Here are some practical topics that you should gather guides on (either books or printed out blog posts/ebooks) in the event you need to brush up on specific skills.
- Building shelter/Homesteading
- Gardening/Foraging
- Water Survival Resources
- Survival/Emergency Preparedness
- First Aid/Survival Medical Guide
- Healing with Plants
- Car Repair
- Generator Building
Just make sure you have all the parts and tools need ahead of time you to carry out any of these projects.
8. Gather Your Weapons:
Experts suggest a minimum of five weapons: three rifles (.22, semi-automative defensive, hunting), a shotgun, and a semi-automatic pistol. Prepare each weapon with at least 500 rounds, but preferably 1000 rounds and any gun accessories you may need.
You never know how long it will take for society to become up and running. Expect anywhere from 1-10 years.
9. Get a Faraday Box, Bag, or Cage:
A faraday box, bag, or cage is a container that uses material like metal to protect and shield the inside contents from radio frequency waves and electromagnetic pulses.
It can come in many shapes and sizes and you can even make your own by lining your closet or a box with layers of aluminum.
Although DIY faraday boxes are great, we want to be certain that our survival tools are secure and protected. After all, they’re going to be our only lifelines if an EMP attack were to occur. For this, we highly suggest you get yourself a few Tech Protect faraday bags.
They’re not only large but they’re tested and proven to work. You know your tools and equipment are safe inside one of these bags.
When it comes to stocking your faraday bag, don’t waste your time with things you can’t use (like laptops and cellphones) or things that don’t belong there (like food and water).
Focus on packing your faraday cage it with items that need shielding from electromagnetic pulses, will work without power charging, and are quality made to last years.
You’ll want to choose items like solar charging batteries, walkie talkies, LED flashlights, a CB or ham radio, digital watches, small generator, and electronic medical equipment.
Stay Educated:
Surviving an EMP may sound like a lot of work but with the threat of nuclear war in the headlines, it’s something that we should all be thinking about.
If you’re interested in on world news and the technology industry, stick to Online News Buzz and stay in the know.
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