The Kill Shot

THE KILL SHOT

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 14, 2012

In 1859, the most powerful solar storm in recorded history occurred. A super fast coronal mass ejection blasted from the sun, shooting straight towards planet earth. These solar flares usually take 3-4 days to reach earth. This particular one got here in less than 18 hours…over 3 times faster than normal.

On Thursday September 1, 1859, the flare slammed into the ionosphere, overwhelming the earth’s magnetic field, allowing charged particles to penetrate the earth’s atmosphere. Telegraph wires were fried in the US and Europe, telegraph machines burst into flames, causing many building fires. Operators received severe shocks, as the solar-induced currents surged through the wiring. Compasses went haywire. People were dumbfounded.

It also caused beautiful, brilliant auroras to appear worldwide, most notably in the Caribbean and Hawaii. So bright that it was possible to read a newspaper at night. In the Rocky Mountains, the aurorae awoke a group of gold miners. Thinking that it was morning, they began preparing breakfast! But it wasn’t morning, it was 2AM!

This massive solar storm was dubbed “The Carrington Event”, after english amateur astronomer Richard Carrington, who observed the solar flare on September 1, 1859.

If a solar storm similar to “The Carrington Event” occurred today, it would be called something quite different…it would be called “The Kill Shot”.

So, what would happen to our lives if “The Kill Shot”, a massive solar flare, slammed into the earth, let’s say, on a beautiful friday evening in September, 2012.

The sun is setting, everyone is getting ready to enjoy the weekend.

Kids are playing, birds are singing, the steaks are on the grill…life is good.

Then, without warning, the kill shot slams into the ionosphere. It is so beautiful. Millions of people run outside and stare at the sky amazed, as the layers of incandescent green and orange aurorae shimmer across the atmosphere like dancing snakes. Everyone is excited…taking photos, tweeting, texting and facebooking this amazing spectacle, unaware of the nightmare about to unfold…in well, about 90 seconds.

Then, it happens. The lights begin to go out. Within an hour, the entire north american power grid is down. And by midnight, all cell phones, land lines, and internet service is down. Radio is nothing but static. Nothing works. The food in the refrigerator begins warming up, and will be spoiled soon. No water, as the power is down at the pumping stations.

Can’t flush the toilets….

Motor vehicles, build after the early 1980s with sophisticated electronics, die and will not restart. Roads and highways are clogged with stalled vehicles, the terrified motorists stranded many miles from home with little food or water.

The grocery stores are forced to close. No power. The cash registers don’t work. 18 wheelers won’t start, so food and supplies cannot be delivered. ATMs are down. 911 emergency, fire and police are down. Hospitals are down. The pharmacy is down. The government is down, and cannot help it’s desperate citizens.

Airplanes and jetliners lose power and cannot communicate with air traffic control towers. The pilots struggle to glide the planes onto roads, fields, parking lots, anywhere flat to make an emergency landing. Many are successful, but many over water or above difficult terrain are not as fortunate.

elevators…subways…trains, motor boats, ships…all without power.

The power is also down at hundreds of nuclear reactors worldwide, as backup generators and computer controls have been fried by the kill shot. With no way to cool the rods, they slowly begin to melt down. Deadly radioactive clouds encircle the globe, and many who live near the reactors get radiation sickness and die a slow, gruesome death.

By 2AM, panic begins to set in. People can’t communicate. They don’t know what is going on. They can’t get the news. They can’t get help.

By 4AM, they begin to realize the scope of the disaster.

And by 6AM, the panic and realization has turned into desperation.

And desperate people, who have lost everything, and have nothing more to lose, can do very ugly things.

Riots begin erupting in major cities. People committing horrendous acts to obtain food and water. Looting, murdering, raping, pillaging, whatever it takes to survive another day.

After about 3 weeks…unimaginable horrors…

Neighbor killing neighbor for food…

People eating their pets…

and eventually…

… cannibalism…

…if you think I’m overstating this, remember what happened after Katrina…which was minor, compared to this.

The kill shot will cause the greatest economic and human catastrophe in recorded history.

Tens of thousands will die during the first 3 weeks after the kill shot.

Most of the dead will go unburied. Many injured and sick will go untreated.

By the end of 2013, 75 percent of Americans, and 50 percent of the world’s population will have died due to starvation, disease, plagues, radiation, suicides and murders.

That’s over 3 billion people….dead!

And by the end of 2014, another billion will have died.

I realize that this is the worst case scenario. But I believe we must expect and plan for the worst case, while praying for the best case. So, what can we do to prepare for this? First, we must write to our congressmen and senators and demand that they allocate funds to harden our satellites, power grid, and infastructure to withstand a kill shot from the sun. And neighborhoods must organize and plan for a disaster of this magnitude. You won’t be able to survive something like this without neighbors who are aware of this threat, prepared, and on your side.

How to prepare: begin storing non-perishable food, water, medicines, medical supplies, firearms, matches etc. is a good start. The things you need or cannot do without.

The Kill Shot…it’s happened before, and it will happen again. Hopefully it will not happen until we are fully prepared for it.