Power Grid?A high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) attack upon our nation’s critical infrastructure would have devastating consequences for the U.S.Such an attack would have the effect of collapsing the electric grid and other critical infrastructure for months or years, including unprotected military and civilian electronics. The U.S. missile defense system is capable of defending against a nuclear missile from the north. If such an attack were to come from the south, we would be unprepared, according to experts. Iran is regarded as already having nuclear missiles capable of making an EMP attack against the U.S. North Korea is rapidly developing orbiting satellites that could potentially launch an EMP attack from space. Recently, critical NORAD operations have been moving back into Cheyenne Mountain, which is EMP hardened.While this is considered prudent, the American people are largely unprotected from the ramifications. It’s estimated that in the event of a yearlong nationwide blackout, ninety percent of Americans would perish from starvation, disease, and societal chaos, according to members of the Congressional EMP Commission, which published its last unclassified report in 2008, the executive summary of which is found in Appendix C.Experts claim that the Obama Administration has not acted on the EMP Commission’s proposed executive order to protect national infrastructure considered essential, to provide for defense against an EMP attack.
