Could You Survive a Carrington Event?

[Cotswold]

It does now appear that the Athmospheric Event, so called actually what they meant was too much cloud and not high temperatures. The nutty green commie brigade zealots have managed to close fossil fuel power stations over Spain, Portugal and parts of France. Nearly total reliance of solar caused the problem. So cloudy days shut down the power over three countries. That situation could last for weeks and nobody seems to worry.

If there happened to be another Krakatoya, those counries would be shut down for months, or years. Or even a smaller one in Iceland which is often predicted. There simply isn't a plan B, which is really the concern. These crackpot schemes are dreamt up by a bunch of the clueless idealistic.

Coming to a country like yours, maybe very soon? .....well not to the USA but no doubt to the rest of us in Europe.

 

[Mark_]

While I may not be able to, a Soviet Lada would be just fine.

 

[RogerCooper]

Checkout this report https://assets.lloyds.com/assets/pd...-Risk-to-the-North-American-Electric-Grid.pdf from Lloyd's of London. It is worth noting that a Carrington-level storm would not knock electricity world-wide. The risk varies greatly from place to place depending on latitude, proximity to the sea and underlying geology.

 

[Cotswold]

The same as any localised event, cyclone, earthquake etc. But little consolation to the people in New York if no other location was affected. It is a random and unpredictable event.

 

[Isaac]

I've been wanting to buy a generator for years. My brother has had one for many years and has come in handy (he lives in Florida, where natural disasters are a part of the deal). I just feel like just my luck I'd make some stupid mistake, since many elements of the plan have to come together to make it worth it (you have to actually HAVE the required gasoline on hand before its unavailable, you have to have all your giant electric extension cords ready and know how and where it's safe to store the generator while running, etc. etc.)

 

[AngelSpeaks]

I've been wanting to buy a generator for years. My brother has had one for many years and has come in handy (he lives in Florida, where natural disasters are a part of the deal). I just feel like just my luck I'd make some stupid mistake, since many elements of the plan have to come together to make it worth it (you have to actually HAVE the required gasoline on hand before its unavailable, you have to have all your giant electric extension cords ready and know how and where it's safe to store the generator while running, etc. etc.)

We have a generator. We also installed another electrical board that we plug the generator into, flip a switch, start it up and we have power to most of the house. Very important that this is done in the correct order or you can fry the electrical company's transformer and get a huge bill from them. The one on the right is for the generator.

 

[Cotswold]

I would think that if your generator was connected when a Carrington hit, then it would blow that as well. I considered a UPS but imagine that would blow with everything else.
I wonder where you would be with insurance for replacements. Presume that if you asked your insurance company they'd say you are not insured and those that don't ask may have a chance. Maybe the government would pick up the bill? After all taxpayers will be paying for new substations. If all your house electrical system is fried together with every computer and electrical device, it would be a fair old bill to pay.
Would it blow electric cars and electrical systems in other cars as well?

 

[AngelSpeaks]

I would think that if your generator was connected when a Carrington hit, then it would blow that as well. I considered a UPS but imagine that would blow with everything else.
I wonder where you would be with insurance for replacements. Presume that if you asked your insurance company they'd say you are not insured and those that don't ask may have a chance. Maybe the government would pick up the bill? After all taxpayers will be paying for new substations. If all your house electrical system is fried together with every computer and electrical device, it would be a fair old bill to pay.
Would it blow electric cars and electrical systems in other cars as well?

We plug the generator in when we need it it's not a Generac. But you raise a valid point. I don't have the answer to your other questions. A former client had to pay when the surge from his system took out a transformer. Our electrician set ours up with a transfer switch so we wouldn't make that mistake if we tried. Both systems have to be active for it to happen. The transfer switch cuts power from one unit and the other takes over after we connect the generator, plug it in, then start it up.

 

[RogerCooper]

The same as any localised event, cyclone, earthquake etc. But little consolation to the people in New York if no other location was affected. It is a random and unpredictable event.

It makes a big difference. If the entire world is affected, there is no undamaged area to manufacture replacement transformers.

Superstorm Sandy did knock out power to the entire New York City area. Power was restored in 1-2 weeks as crews from undamaged areas conducted repairs.

I wonder how rooftop solar would fare?

 

[moke123]

We have a generator. We also installed another electrical board that we plug the generator into, flip a switch, start it up and we have power to most of the house.

I put an outlet by my pellet stove and another by my modem and cable boxes and ran the wires to a plug by my side door. When the power goes out I just plug into my generator and then plug the stove and cable stuff in to the dummy outlets. Got heat and entertainment. What else do you need?

 

[Cotswold]

It makes a big difference. If the entire world is affected, there is no undamaged area to manufacture replacement transformers.

Superstorm Sandy did knock out power to the entire New York City area. Power was restored in 1-2 weeks as crews from undamaged areas conducted repairs.

I wonder how rooftop solar would fare?

The general opinion is that a Carrington would not be a whole World event, or even whole America event. If it was World wide, you'd probably starve within a month when the food and water runs out. After the stores have been stripped of their food, those people with so called foresight and stockpiles of food would be sought out, promptly killed and their food taken. A World wide event would shift us back to the 1700s but without any skills or knowledge.

I would guess that any solar panels, rooftop or otherwise would be ruined. As would windfarms and the generators at dams. As would all of the motors on manufacturing machinery. Whilst there may be substations in-stock so to speak, the only way of transporting them will be horse and cart and we have precious few of them.

 

[RogerCooper]

The general opinion is that a Carrington would not be a whole World event, or even whole America event. If it was World wide, you'd probably starve within a month when the food and water runs out. After the stores have been stripped of their food, those people with so called foresight and stockpiles of food would be sought out, promptly killed and their food taken. A World wide event would shift us back to the 1700s but without any skills or knowledge.

I would guess that any solar panels, rooftop or otherwise would be ruined. As would windfarms and the generators at dams. As would all of the motors on manufacturing machinery. Whilst there may be substations in-stock so to speak, the only way of transporting them will be horse and cart and we have precious few of them.

I checked elsewhere and looks that solar panels would be OK, as long as they were disconnected from the grid during the event. The problems caused in the electrical grid are because the voltages build up over the long lengths of the wires.

Solar panels fared well in the recent hurricane in Jamaica, as long as the roof didn't blow off.