7 Things That You Should Never Do After An EMP

Source: https://www.askaprepper.com/

An EMP, or electromagnetic pulse attack, would be among the most devastating and long lasting disasters that could ever happen.

That’s because an EMP attack (or solar flare from the sun) would knock out all electronic equipment over a large swath area.

Depending on the intensity of the blast, all communications and electronic equipment, including the power grid, most cars, electronic devices such as laptops or phones, and kitchen appliances, would be completely knocked out.

In essence, an EMP attack would throw us back to the Stone Age. Furthermore, it would take years before anything remotely resembling a recovery ‘back to normal’ could be made.

A great deal has been written about what you should do following an EMP attack to stay live, both in the short term and over the long term. But far less has been written about what you should not do after an EMP attack strikes.

We’re here to change that today.

Here is what not to do after an EMP attack has struck:

Eat Food Out Of Your Stockpile First

Always eat the perishable food in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry before you start eating food out of your stockpile.

You don’t want your food in the fridge or pantry to go to waste and you also want your stockpile to last for as long as possible.

Wait Until The Last Minute To Make A Final Store Run

When an EMP attack occurs, it will only be a matter of hours at best before cities and towns within the radius of blast descend into complete and utter chaos.

Most cars won’t be working and many that were driving will crash into one another, some people will start to attack one another out of confusion and desperation, and stores will start to close up.

That’s why if you want to make a final store run, you need to do so immediately after the EMP has gone off, and even then, you’ll want to be extremely wary.

Since credit card processing machines will not be working, you’ll need to use cash. This is why it’s important to have a healthy stockpile of emergency cash in your home at all times.

Run right down to the nearest grocery store or supermarket and start buying as many items as you possibly can, because it will be the last time you can do so for months if not years.

The people working at the grocery store will be very confused about what’s going on and will likely close up shop early, never to reopen again until marauders and looters later break through when complete societal breakdown occurs later.

Let The Water In Your Home’s Pipes Go To Waste

When an EMP goes off, one of the worst mistakes you could make is to not collect as much water in your sinks and tubs as you can.

That’s because it won’t take long for the water pumps to stop working and for the only water left to be in the pipes.

As soon as the EMP happens, plug up the drains to your tubs and sinks and run them until the water stops running. You’ll collect a fair amount of water for drinking and cleaning purposes that will become immensely valuable later.

Not Try To Get In Touch With Your Loved Ones

Most ‘traditional’ forms of communication like internet and cell service will be knocked out in an EMP attack.

Make sure that each friend or family member within your ‘circle of trust’ is equipped with off-grid communication devices before the blast goes off.

Announce To The World That You Have A Stockpile Of Supplies At Home

Hopefully, you’re not guilty of doing this already.

As a prepper, it is of utmost importance to exercise extreme caution and discretion when it comes to sharing information about your preps, as you should only confide in and disclose such details to individuals you deeply trust.

After an EMP attack has occurred, don’t go around to people you know or your neighbors informing them about the stockpile of food and supplies you have back at home.

You’d be surprised at how fast people you thought of as being your ‘friends’ turn on you if you don’t share with them.

Leave Your Home Undefended

Most suburban homes are not very defensible and are very easy for a determined burglar to break into.

Related: Places To Avoid: Where Looters Will Strike First When SHTF

That’s why ideally, you’ve already made adjustments to your home to make it more defensible, such as replacing all doors leading outside with steel doors, all hinges with heavy duty hinges, and all windows with more durable acrylic glass windows.

After an EMP attack has occurred, the defense of your home will turn into one of your biggest priorities.

Once the grocery stores and supermarkets have been looted and ransacked, marauders will turn to suburban homes to break into for food and supplies and this will become an ongoing threat you have to contend with.

Bug Out Of Town

You may think that the smart move after an EMP attack has gone off is to bug out of town.

While it is true that most cities and urban centers will become hotspots of danger as society starts to break down, your chances of survival out on the open road aren’t much greater.

For one thing, if the blast from an EMP is strong enough, most vehicles will be knocked out, so there’s a good chance you would have to travel on foot.

This means you and your family will be vulnerable out in the open, moving slowly, and wouldn’t be able to carry much with you. And do you even know where to go?

In most circumstances, it will be much safer for you to dig in at your house where your stockpile of supplies already are.

The only times you should attempt a bug out are if any of these conditions are met:

1. It simply becomes too dangerous for you to stay where you are.
2. You have a predetermined bug out location in mind where you can rendezvous with friends and family members and have multiple routes of getting there.

It’s also vitally important for your bug out location to meet some prerequisites to ensure it’s suitable for a long term  bug out location.

An EMP attack will be truly devastating, but not doing the above mistakes will greatly increase your odds of survival.

Depending on the intensity and scope of the blast, an EMP attack or solar flare could last for months or years. Either way, it’s critical to be prepared.

As the old saying does, pray for the best but prepare for the worst.