Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) events have long been a staple in disaster and action films, captivating audiences with visions of sudden societal collapse and technological blackouts. While these movies are undeniably thrilling, they often prioritize dramatic effect over scientific accuracy, leading to dangerous misconceptions about EMPs and their real-world implications. For preppers and those interested in emergency preparedness, understanding the difference between Hollywood’s portrayal and actual EMP threats is crucial. Let’s dive into some popular EMP-themed movies, dissect their inaccuracies, and provide insights based on real-life EMP survival knowledge.
Misleading Depictions in Popular EMP Movies
The Darkest Hour (2011)
Synopsis: This sci-fi thriller centers around an EMP attack launched from the Moon, aiming to wipe out all electronic devices on Earth. The plot follows a group of survivors navigating the ensuing chaos.
Misconceptions:
- Source of EMP: In reality, EMPs are typically associated with nuclear detonations, solar flares, or specialized non-nuclear EMP weapons. The idea of an EMP originating from the Moon is purely fictional and lacks any scientific foundation.
- Immediate Global Blackout: While a high-altitude nuclear EMP could affect vast areas, the film exaggerates the immediacy and uniformity of the blackout, ignoring the varying susceptibilities of different regions and technologies.
Red Dawn (1984 & 2012)
Synopsis: Both versions of “Red Dawn” depict an EMP attack as part of a larger invasion strategy by foreign powers, leading to the collapse of American infrastructure and society.
Misconceptions:
- EMP as a Sole Cause of Collapse: The films suggest that an EMP alone can dismantle a nation’s infrastructure. While an EMP can disrupt electronics and power grids, modern systems’ resilience and redundancy would prevent total collapse.
- Functioning of Vehicles and Electronics Post-EMP: Contrary to the movie’s portrayal, most modern vehicles rely heavily on electronic systems that a significant EMP event would likely disable. The ease with which characters find and use working vehicles is unrealistic.
Related: 7 Actions to Take Immediately Following an EMP Strike
Threads (1984)
Synopsis: This British television drama portrays the effects of a nuclear war on the city of Sheffield, including the use of EMPs to cripple the UK.
Misconceptions:
- Comprehensive EMP Effects: While “Threads” provides a grim view of nuclear war, its depiction of EMP effects is oversimplified. The film shows widespread electronic failure, but in reality, the impact of an EMP would depend on factors like the altitude of detonation and shielding of electronic devices.
- Long-Term Recovery: The movie implies a prolonged and almost insurmountable struggle to rebuild, whereas actual recovery efforts post-EMP would vary based on preparedness and the extent of the damage.
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Synopsis: The fourth installment of the “Die Hard” series features a cyber-terrorist attack that includes the use of EMP devices to disable the United States’ infrastructure.
Misconceptions:
- EMP Deployment and Control: The film portrays EMPs being deployed with pinpoint accuracy and control, whereas real EMPs, especially those from high-altitude nuclear detonations, have broader and less predictable effects.
- Instantaneous Chaos: While the movie shows immediate chaos and widespread failure, the real-world impact would depend on the strength and scope of the EMP, as well as the existing infrastructure’s resilience.
Related: The Most Sought-After Items in Case of an EMP
Common Hollywood EMP Fallacies
Vehicles Still Operational
Many EMP movies showcase cars, trucks, and even high-tech vehicles continuing to function seamlessly after an EMP event. In reality, most modern vehicles are highly dependent on electronic systems controlled by microchips, which would be vulnerable to EMP-induced damage.
Older vehicles with minimal electronic components might have a better chance of surviving an EMP, but the widespread use of electronics in transportation makes the Hollywood depiction largely inaccurate.
Electronics and Appliances Surviving
From smartphones to refrigerators, movies often show electronic devices remaining operational or easily repairable post-EMP. The truth is that a significant EMP would likely fry most unshielded electronics, rendering them useless. Backup generators and solar-powered devices could offer some resilience, but the instant recovery portrayed on screen is misleading. A good alternative would be if you can assemble your own generator. You can use the blueprint for this alternative solution called the Modular Backyard Power Plant, and you’ll have a reliable 24/7 power source.
Related: 99% (of Preppers) Won’t Survive an EMP Without This
Instantaneous Societal Breakdown
While an EMP could cause significant disruptions, leading to challenges in communication, transportation, and power, movies tend to exaggerate the speed and extent of societal collapse.
Realistically, the impact would vary based on the EMP’s strength, geographic scope, and the preparedness of the affected population. While sustained outages would definitely cause a breakdown of society, it’s often not as sudden as Hollywood depicts.
Real-Life EMP Survival Knowledge
Understanding the true effects of an EMP is essential for effective preparedness. To safeguard against an EMP event, preppers should focus on several key strategies grounded in scientific research and practical application.
Shielding and Protection
Utilizing Faraday cages made from conductive materials can block electromagnetic fields and protect critical electronics.
Related: 5 Vehicles That Can Handle An EMP Attack
Whether using commercial options or homemade metal containers with sealed seams, ensuring proper grounding is crucial. Additionally, installing surge protectors can shield sensitive devices from voltage spikes caused by EMPs.
Backup Power Solutions
Investing in EMP-resistant generators stored in Faraday cages and connected with shielded cables ensures they remain operational.
Solar power systems should have critical components like inverters and batteries protected within EMP-rated enclosures. High-capacity battery banks stored in shielded containers can also provide power for essential devices during an EMP event. The DIY generator I mentioned above is another good solution that you can use in any type of crisis.
Vehicle Preparedness
Older vehicles, especially those made before the 1980s with fewer electronic parts, are more likely to survive an EMP. Keeping such vehicles in good condition and storing spare parts can be invaluable. For modern vehicles, installing EMP protection devices like surge protectors and shielding critical components enhances resilience. Regular maintenance ensures mechanical parts remain functional even if electronics fail.
Related: The Worst Places to Be When an EMP Hits
Redundant Communication Methods
Ham radios are reliable as they do not depend on the internet or cellular networks. Investing in a quality ham radio setup with backup power sources ensures communication capability. You can also try this method that will help you communicate off-grid in this kind of crisis.
CB and shortwave radios offer additional options that are simple and durable. Protecting satellite phones in Faraday cages can help maintain their functionality, though they remain more vulnerable.
Stockpiling Essential Supplies
Maintain at least a two-week supply of non-perishable food and clean water per person. A comprehensive first aid kit, prescription medications, and essential medical tools are crucial for addressing health issues when medical services may be unavailable. Basic tools, manual can openers, and sanitation supplies support daily living and repairs without relying on electronics. Safely storing fuel for generators and vehicles, along with manual alternatives for cooking and heating, further enhances preparedness.
Infrastructure Resilience
Installing surge protectors on critical circuits and using Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) for essential devices can prevent damage and provide short-term power backup.
Implementing redundant systems, such as multiple power sources and communication lines, ensures functionality if one system fails. Here are 7 actions you should take immediately following an EMP strike to make sure you’re going to be doing more than just barely surviving.
Collaborating with neighbors to develop collective preparedness plans and share resources fosters a stronger community response.
Protecting Critical Documents and Data
Store digital copies of essential documents on EMP-protected devices, such as SSDs in Faraday cages, and utilize cloud storage with access plans that don’t rely on local infrastructure. Keep physical copies of vital documents like IDs, medical records, and financial information in waterproof and fireproof containers for secure access even when digital systems fail.
The problem is that Faraday cages are not always the most reliable. That’s why I wish more people knew about the EMP Cloth. Developed after extensive research by top U.S. scientists, this cloth offers 98% military-grade protection against electromagnetic waves. From credit cards to generators, fridges, and even cars, it covers everything you need.
They don’t restock them often because they’re pretty tough to make, so I had to wait a bit to finally get one. After hunting around, I found a reliable website to order it from. I recommend you secure your own cloth from here. It’s a rare find and not many people get to own it, which is a shame.
Financial Preparedness
Keep a reserve of cash in small denominations to facilitate transactions when digital payments are unavailable.
Stockpiling barter goods like food, water, medical supplies, and tools provides alternative means of obtaining necessary items.
Investing in precious metals like gold and silver offers a portable and durable store of value useful during currency disruptions.
Final Thoughts
While EMP-themed movies like “The Darkest Hour,” “Red Dawn,” “Live Free or Die Hard,” and others offer captivating narratives, they often distort the realities of EMP events, fostering misconceptions that can hinder effective preparedness. By distinguishing between Hollywood fiction and scientific fact, preppers can better equip themselves to handle the true challenges posed by EMPs.
Related: Places to Avoid After an EMP Strike
Emphasizing realistic strategies—such as shielding electronics, maintaining older vehicles, securing alternative power and communication methods, and building comprehensive stockpiles—ensures a more resilient and informed approach to EMP survival. Additionally, investing in infrastructure resilience, education, and financial preparedness further strengthens one’s ability to navigate potential EMP scenarios effectively.
Understanding the nuances of EMP threats beyond their cinematic portrayals empowers individuals and communities to develop robust preparedness plans. By critically evaluating how EMPs are depicted in media and aligning preparedness efforts with real-world knowledge, preppers can face potential EMP scenarios with greater confidence and efficacy.
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I want to know what in my case, I don’t have any neighbors for a few miles plus I don’t know even their names. So it’s just me actually prepping anything because other than buying some ammo my husband thinks I’m crazy. But l keep plugging along. I have 2 trucks. A Polaris, a 1993 F-350 old rv, a motorcycle, an old tractor made in the late 50’s to 1960, and other than the tractor it’s all got the components to fail in an emp. So on that note what do I do without neighbors or vehicles? The emp cloth covers are to expensive.
An EMP attack is unlikely and the extent of damage from one is always being debated. You need to consider risk when prepping and put your resources into being ready for more likely events. For most us the most likely life changing events are a personal health crisis or loss of income in an economic downturn. Two of the most useful preps are to have good health insurance and to live debt free.
If there is a crippling EMP attack you are already ahead of most the world if you have a working tractor and a few acres of land.
Make a Plan , Stratigize, and learn what is around you , distance, type of people , friend or foe , beliefs or types of belief
Know one thing
The Heart of man , woman all , no eceptions will always seek out to either be in charge , ego , or followers who just dont want to be in charge
remember 5-10% are leaders , good or bad and the rest just follow
So beware , Never show your hand , what you have , and your intentions
Be like you have nothing , know nothing , and dont need approval s from others
This will help you understand people
Would be wise to read the 2018 EMP scenario report sent to Trump in his first term. I did when issued. Sobering. IMO the greatest EMP threat comes from that yellow ball in the sky. And we are overdue for another 1859 Carrington Event.
Hi Dave…I’m not much of a movie person but that would be a good one….without the D.E.I. in it .Perverts ,ect.
“Many EMP movies showcase cars, trucks, and even high-tech vehicles continuing to function seamlessly after an EMP event. In reality, most modern vehicles are highly dependent on electronic systems controlled by microchips, which would be vulnerable to EMP-induced damage.” The 2003 EMP Commission report found that only a small percentage of vehicles tested would be rendered useless. These vehicles were in government service at the time, so they would have been late model vehicles.
The problem with the testing is that it only tested to 50,000 volts per sq/meter. Some say the Russians have enhanced EMP weapons that are capable of producing 100,000 volts per sq./meter. In addition, as soon as a vehicle showed any damage, testing stopped. The problem was that the vehicles had to be returned fully functional to the agency that supplied it. The Commission had only a limited budget to work with.
Of course, there is a huge difference between a vehicle that has inoperable electric windows or sideview mirror controls and vehicles whose entire electronic apparatus is fried.
Surge protectors, I have read, will provide little-to-no protection. The EMP surge will be so much faster than, say, a surge caused by a lightning strike that the standard surge protector cannot react in time and prevent it from damaging the device to which it is connected..
The farther vehicles and equipment are from a point directly below the detonation, the less powerful the pulse will be, so many vehicles will still be operable. Even vehicles in the shadow of a mountain on the reverse slope may be unaffected. This is because EMP travels by line of sight. It will be a roll of the dice.
A major EMP will cause horrific property damage to the US. Many say that restoring the grid will take up to ten years because the very large transformers are not manufactured in the US, the production of them cannot be sped up (at least very quickly), and, because they are so large and heavy, even getting them to the right locations will be a huge undertaking.
Without the grid, food production will grind to a halt. The canning factories, frozen food factories. and food processing facilities will be inoperable. Without refineries producing fuel, the means to transport food from, say, California farms or North Dakota or Nebraska grain silos will be impossible.
As a result, a two-week supply of food and water will be woefully inadequate for the average American to survive. While water is the most important prep, most Americans will probably be able to depend on rain and ground water. Making it clean enough to drink, however, is a different problem for many.
A few months of food, at a minimum, should be a baseline starting point. A year or two of food, if a pocketbook allows it, would be far, far better.
A minimal amount of cash will be woefully inadequate unless a person is VERY well prepared. Very quickly, price gouging will begin, so most items will cost much more than in normal times, regardless of what anti-price gouging laws permit.
For the first few days, “cash will be king” because ATMs will be nonfunctional, banks will be unable to permit withdrawals because there would be no way to know how much the customer had in his account, and debit and credit card transactions will be impossible without electrical power and the internet.
The EMP Commission has estimated that, in the first year after a massive EMP attack on the US, up to 90% of Americans could be dead from starvation, disease, and violence. I apologize if I missed it, but I saw no recommendation that self-reliant people store a serious amount of firearms and ammunition. Those at the bottom rung of society who are dependent on EBT cards and other government benefits will be the first to turn feral. The closer a person lives to an inner-city population of a serious size, the greater will be his need for the means of self-defense.
The good news for people reading this is that if they are prepared to deal with the aftermath of an EMP, their preparation will serve them well for the vast majority of other disasters that could occur.
If preparations are woefully inadequate now, two sayings come to mind, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
While there is nothing wrong with the suggestions of what to do about an EMP or CME I think it could be a bit overblown. I recall the gubmint doing ONE set of tests on vehicles both older vehicles and ones with newer electronics probably 30yrs or more ago. While I don’t recall the species such as what vehicles, number of vehicles in each group, how much EMP energy was used and other such things I do recall this. ALL vehicles were shut down by the EMP but all but one were restarted immediately without any harm to the vehicles. This ONE experiment may be part of the reason the public hears very little about EMP/CME strikes. I am not a scientist (but I did stay in a Holiday Inn once) so I don’t claim to know all the details just the outcome. I do plan on protecting my small electronics with EMP cloth,, Doing that is not super expensive. You can also construct your own EMP/CME container out of a metal trash can and cardboard. The can looks like a small version of one of those big 55 gallon metal cans with the metal lid that has a handle in the middle. OR you can do it with the full size version as well. There are instructions, I believe, somewhere on this website or other sites if you Google it.
TV is just that , entertainment , fiction or presumed experiences
Reading Make you smarter , More intellegent , able to discern better
Action make s you healthier
Excercise make s you more alert
and Good Health is Practices
thru self control , one day at a time
Dont be a slug, lazy person , that way you will be ready
Wish they were all ready
When it does happen , Much suffering, pain, strife
God has said how , when , why , Now prophecy will be fulfilled in God s timing
not by man , but by God s Removing his Hand of protection ( The Holy Spirit )
I remember watching the tv show Jerichol. That was the first time I heard about EMPs. I got a propane generator thinking that would keep my freezers going a little longer. (I was getting one anyway.). Well my neighborhood is prone to lightning strikes (something n the ground attracts them). I have 2x lost my generator because of it. So people thinking they have generators or solar might be surprised that they aren’t working.
Reading “One Second After” was my scariest read. I have read the whole series.
Am I prepared far from it? No. I have a well so no water. I have a wood stove, but it can’t boil water. I have some seeds, but need to learn more about seed saving. I do have good neighbors, but we are the only real gardeners in the neighborhood. We can’t grow enough food for everyone.
One neighbor is a hunter, but the deer, etc will disappear quickly in a disaster.
Debbie in MA
Miss Debbie, there are many DIY sources for constructing a well bucket online. Be sure to include a suitable length of rope, webbing, or small diameter cable to reach the water depth. I have made a few of these (two is one) in the style with a check valve that have had the spring removed. They are easy to construct. Include a pulley or two to ease pulling effort, they can be rigged on a tripod above the well casing. Regards.
Thanks for the reminder…..lightning is freaky….i use to video tape lightning strikes then down load on to computer…then look at the strike frame by frame…..it’s weird stuff Debbie….
But beware….you might have a road to Damascus moment……..
Ops….
A lightning rod at one time was going to be incorporated into my preps.
Whoever wrote this never watched Red Dawn, this movie had nothing to do with an EMP.
Ya…All i remember is the Russian’s parachuting into some hick town and taking over…like a surprise attack…..go wolverines!!!!!
I liked hunt for Red October ….I work on sub shaft’s during that time period .
Our’s sounded like whales humping………..
I would recommend reading One Second After if you really want to get a feel of what a large scale EMP attack or corona event would feel like. The likelihood of that type of event is small, but so is a hurricane in NC and snow in Fla.
There is evidence that we are in a geo-magnetic excursion where the planet’s magnetic field is weakening (presumably ahead of a cyclical pole flip) and that around 2030-2040 there is a strong possibility of our seeing major systems-crippling CMEs. Some believe that this is the reason behind many rich and elites building their bunkers. I would not readily dismiss the likelihood of our seeing the infrastructure systems collapsing in our lifetimes (unless you are already 80-90). We very well may see the day when “it’s too late to start prepping”.