NASA warns of solar storm causing blackouts and grid failures

NASA warns of a solar storm that could crash the grid

The NASA warning about a solar storm capable of causing blackouts and disruptions to radio, telephony, and internet has reignited an old antiestéticar: that Spain's power grid cannot withstand what it survived in 1859. The Carrington Event, that flare which melted telegraphs and caused fires, is the recurring reference point. The difference is that back then there were no mobile phones, traffic lights, or gas stations dependent on electricity to operate.

Some argue the threat is real and infrastructure has lacked necessary maintenance for decades. Opposing this is the skeptical view: warnings have been issued for decades without a major event occurring. Between these extremes lies an uncomfortable certainty: in Spain, you don't need a solar storm to experience blackouts.

What was the Carrington Event and why is it cited so often?

In 1859, a high-intensity solar flare hit Earth, frying telegraph systems worldwide. There were fires, and skies lit up at impossible latitudes. That episode, the Carrington Event, is the benchmark used to measure what could happen again. The comparison is apt: then the electrical grid was embryonic; today it is the nervous system of everything.

The described mechanism involves an electromagnetic pulse of solar origin. Intense radiation can cause electrons to jump between tracks in nanometric circuits. Wiring and device components act as antennas, amplifying the effect. The more microelectronics a device contains, the more vulnerable it becomes. A mobile phone, a computer, a control panel: all are candidates.

The lingering technical doubt concerns power levels. Whether a flare can overcome Earth's magnetic field with enough force to fry devices on land is not universally agreed upon. They've been warning for decades and it never really takes off, summarizes the skeptical stance, comparing the issue to other sustained alarm narratives.

What peine during the last major snowstorm and what was learned?

The domestic reference is Storm Filomena. Madrid froze, cars couldn't move, and life came to a standstill for days. That was a mini-glaciation, not a solar storm, but it served as a dress rehearsal. What was learned then applies directly here.

Thermal cars stuck at traffic lights are useless, and electric ones too: both depend on electricity. Gas stations couldn't refuel without light. Those with solar panels and hybrid invertors kept their homes lit and could even recharge vehicles. Avoiding travel ceased to be advice and became the only sensible strategy.

From that emerged a repeated conclusion: the local populace hasn't learned or changed anything at all. The memory of the last blackout lasts as long as ice on a windshield.

Preparations: from mushroom basements to chicken coops

Some don't wait for NASA. One participant describes his ~20 square meter basement, accessed via a trapdoor camouflaged under movable furniture. Down there he stores powdered eggs, mashed potato powder, various flours, and boxes obtained for free from his job transporting weapon parts. In summer he grows mushrooms. Dude, you're not quite right in the head, said the only friend who knows about the bunker.

Another plans a bunker on a plot in a remote village: concrete blocks with a typical Castilian hayloft above to disguise the entrance. The initial idea of burying a container was discarded due to water accumulation risks. The alternative considered is locating a U-shaped valley between two hills, placing four or six containers there, and covering them with earth.

The complete calculation of what is worth storing, including items and expiration dates, is material that doesn't fit in an article. What remains clear is that there is a community preparing for years for something most people don't even consider.

Real consequences: what goes dark and what doesn't

The scenario drawn isn't the end of the world, but it resembles it. Without electricity, there is no FM radio, telephony, or internet. It's time to dust off battery-powered radios and TDK tapes with radio hits recorded. Blackouts join the list of things already known by heart.

The floating question is how long society can endure without background noise. Without hearing or seeing propaganda from those in charge, one person jokes ironically. The joke hides a real concern: dependence on channels that would fail first.

The consolation, if it can be called that, is that wiring can be protected. The technology exists. What doesn't exist, according to the most critical reading, is the will to do so. The useless leaders we have done nothing, concludes a comment summarizing the underlying anger.

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A disorienting fact remains. In Iran, 51 degrees Celsius were recorded the same day Antarctica reached -72 degrees Celsius. The cosmos doesn't need to warn twice. Meanwhile, NASA keeps launching rockets.