Time to be Afraid - Preparing for the Next Big Solar Storm - Are we Ready for the NEXT BIG ONE?

 Time to be Afraid –  Preparing for the Next Big Solar Storm 

THE NEXT BIG ONE
A moderately severe geomagnetic storm aimed at the United States could cut power to 130 million people and damage more than 350 high-voltage transformers, which would take months to replace, according to a report published by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2008.

A really severe storm could inflict damage and disruption estimated at between $1 trillion and $2 trillion, 20 times the cost of Hurricane Katrina, with a full recovery time between four and 10 years, the academy wrote (“Severe space weather events: understanding societal and economic impacts”, 2008).

“The loss of electricity would ripple across the social infrastructure with water distribution affected within several hours; perishable foods and medications lost in 12-24 hours; loss of heating/air conditioning, sewage disposal, phone service, fuel re-supply and so on,” according to a study funded by the U.S. government.

Older electrical transformers would be at particular risk of being damaged by the enormous electrical currents induced in the power grid by a severe storm.

REUTERS – ARTICLE BY JOHN KEMP    http://tinyurl.com/lz3l3e6
 

CU-Boulder scientist: 2012 solar storm points up need for society to prepare  
http://tinyurl.com/ntuvau3

A Super Solar Flare  http://tinyurl.com/32v6amx
 

Are we ready yet for potentially disastrous impacts of space weather?
http://tinyurl.com/7tpb5f5

The solar storm of 1859, also known as the Carrington Event
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859

Near Miss: The Solar Superstorm of July 2012
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/23jul_superstorm/

March 1989 geomagnetic storm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm
 

Image credit: NASA/SDO