First ever Solar Storm Emergency Drill showed significant weaknesses in Disaster Preparedness
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Unlike localized disasters, a worst case scenario of a strong solar storm would affect every aspect of modern life simultaneously. Rebuilding power grids, restoring satellite networks, and reconstructing economies could take decades, fundamentally changing the global order.
The U.S. recently conducted its first-ever solar storm emergency drill, revealing significant gaps in preparedness for extreme space weather. The Space Weather Operations, Research, and Mitigation (SWORM) task force, which includes NOAA and the Department of Homeland Security, organized the exercise to assess the nation's ability to respond to a severe solar storm.
Illustration Credit: (Image in text) Photo of the sun with information about how long it takes for solar mass to reach earth. Illustration by the UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills.
Cover Photo: NASA. Wikipedia Creative Commons License.
Held in May 2024, the drill simulated a series of solar events that could disrupt radio communications, GPS functionality, power grids, and satellite operations. One scenario imagined a crisis unfolding in early 2028, with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft and on the lunar surface facing heightened radiation exposure.
Coincidentally, the largest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years struck Earth during the exercise, causing power grid disturbances and increased atmospheric drag on satellites. Experts emphasized the difficulty of predicting solar storms, as their full impact is only understood when they are minutes away from Earth.
The findings highlight the urgent need for improved forecasting tools, faster decision-making frameworks, and better public awareness to mitigate the risks of future solar storms.
For more info:
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/is-earth-ready-to-face-severe-solar-storms/story
https://usasolarcell.com/news/2025/05/19/first-us-solar-storm-drill-flopped-spectacularly/
A worst-case solar storm scenario—akin to the legendary Carrington Event of 1859 but amplified for today's interconnected world—could unfold as follows:
Stage 1: The Storm Begins
A massive coronal mass ejection (CME) erupts from the Sun, sending billions of tons of charged particles hurtling toward Earth at unprecedented speeds. While scientists at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center detect the storm, warnings come too late—only minutes before impact.
Stage 2: Power Grids Collapse
As the CME slams into Earth’s magnetic field, it triggers intense geomagnetic storms. High-voltage transformers and power stations in North America, Europe, and Asia experience surges, causing catastrophic failures. Entire power grids collapse, leaving hundreds of millions without electricity.
Stage 3: Communications Blackout
GPS satellites, cell towers, and radio communication systems fail. Airlines lose navigation capabilities, forcing all airborne aircraft to ground immediately. Emergency responders cannot coordinate rescue efforts, as police and fire departments are cut off from command centers.
Stage 4: Infrastructure Breakdown
Without power, water purification plants, hospitals, and financial institutions go offline. ATMs and banking services cease, leading to economic chaos. Food supply chains collapse, and cities face shortages within days.
Stage 5: Space and Aviation Disasters
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and lunar missions are exposed to lethal radiation levels. Satellites, including those controlling the internet, weather forecasts, and global surveillance, malfunction permanently.
Stage 6: Societal Unrest
With no access to news, communication, or emergency relief, panic spreads. Looting and civil unrest explode in major metropolitan areas. Governments struggle to impose order as survival instincts take over.
Stage 7: Global Recovery Takes Years
Unlike localized disasters, this solar storm affects every aspect of modern life simultaneously. Rebuilding power grids, restoring satellite networks, and reconstructing economies could take decades, fundamentally changing the global order.
Without proper mitigation strategies, such a storm could erase decades of technological progress in a matter of hours. Experts continue to urge governments to prepare better defences against the looming threat of extreme space weather.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License
On August 31, 2012 a long filament of solar material that had been hovering in the sun's atmosphere, the corona, erupted out into space at 4:36 p.m. EDT. The coronal mass ejection, or CME, traveled at over 900 miles per second. The CME did not travel directly toward Earth, but did connect with Earth's magnetic environment, or magnetosphere, causing aurora to appear on the night of Monday, September 3.
The image above includes an image of Earth to show the size of the CME compared to the size of Earth.
Date
5 September 2012, 09:47:31
Source
Flickr: Magnificent CME Erupts on the Sun with Earth to Scale
Also available on NASA's Image and Video Library as GSFC_20171208_Archive_e001660
Author
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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(Reusing this file)
This image, which was originally posted to Flickr, was uploaded to Commons using Flickr upload bot on 18 September 2012, 06:47 by Originalwana. On that date, it was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the license indicated.
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