5 Quick Facts About EMPs

What is an EMP?

EMP stands for electromagnetic pulse. An EMP is a disturbance in the atmosphere that causes the air to become electrically charged. This won’t hurt you, but can seriously damage your devices. EMPs can be natural or manmade, but all behave similarly. The greatest difference between the types of EMP is how large of an area they can affect.

How do EMPs affect your devices?

Electronics are designed to operate at a particular voltage and their internal components reflect that. If the voltage is exceeded, those components get damaged. During an EMP, your devices will be hit with incredibly high voltages, burning out the internal components and effectively destroying them.

Why is this problematic?

From cars to toothbrushes, most of what we own and depend on every day contains electronics. In the event of a serious EMP, it will all become useless. A common concern is loss of communication, however, your ability to do everyday tasks like cook and commute will also be compromised. Without proper protection, EMPs have the potential to be crippling to our society.

Are EMPs a genuine threat?

They are, although where they’re most likely to come from is the subject of debate. Regardless of your thoughts on manmade EMPs, it is important to know that we have a well-documented history of solar EMPs and that is certain to continue.

How can you protect your devices?

There are two methods for EMP protection. The first is with a faraday container. This is a sealed container made with a conductive outer layer. This isolates your devices from EMPs so that they never encounter over-voltage. A major downside is that you have to keep your devices sealed up to protect them, which is only practical if you know the EMP is coming.

A more effective method of protection is with an EMP Shield. Based in Kansas, EMP Shield, Inc. designs and distributes specialized equipment that monitors the devices it’s connected to. In the event of an EMP, it will detect the voltage spike and act immediately to draw the extra voltage away from your devices. This allows you to protect your devices while still being able to use them.

If you want to learn more about EMP Shield, Inc. and our exclusive partnership with them, check out these links:

How does an EMP Shield Work?

EMP Shield AC and DC Power Protection Modules

Written by Eitan Mizrahi