Washington DC Most Vulnerable US City For Grid Failure During Geomagnetic Storm
We have previously noted the early indicators of the sun's upcoming 11-year solar cycle. Currently, Solar Cycle 25 is at its peak, known as the 'solar maximum,' characterized by intense solar activity such as sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections. This results in a significant surge in electromagnetic energy hurtling towards Earth, and now new data shows Washington, DC, is the most vulnerable US city to space weather.
The Royal Astronomical Society reports that researchers at the British Geological Survey (BGS) found that Washington, DC, and Milwaukee are some of the most exposed US cities to space weather. This is particularly problematic during a solar maximum period that will last through 2025 because power grids and ground-based communication devices could be disrupted.
"We have identified certain regions of the US (Washington DC area and Milwaukee) which are repeatedly appearing as 'highly connected' in our network, hence are possibly regions particularly vulnerable to the effects of space weather and may benefit from further monitoring," said Dr. Lauren Orr of BGS.
Dr. Orr said there were "many reasons" the metro areas might be more at risk of the impact of solar storms, including "electrical conductivity of the ground, the physical construction of the power grid in those areas, or the location of the auroral currents in the sky."
She added a caveat that further research is needed to reveal more evidence of why these cities are considered 'supernodes.'
Geomagnetically induced currents from powerful solar storms can disrupt the digital and remote work economy.
We've outlined this in space weather notes over the years:
- Digital Economy Disruption Possible As "Terminator Event" Suggests Strongest Sunspot Cycle On Record Imminent
- The Next Big Geomagnetic Storm Poses An Astronomical Risk To Modern Man
- Solar Storms Can Devastate Entire Civilizations.
- Solar Storms Present Danger Of Blackouts For Major East Coast Cities
In early May, one of the most powerful solar storms in years blasted Earth. Fortunately, the digital economy held up, and Starlink's massive satellite constellation also survived.
Last year, we pointed out that the current solar cycle (Solar Cycle 25) is expected to peak sometime in 2025.
And just recently revealed new data about the next solar cycle:
Let's remember this executive order signed by Obama in 2016...
The most powerful solar storm to rock Earth in recorded history, the Carrington Event, occurred in September 1859. It sparked fires in telegraph systems across Europe and North America.
The biggest threat to Earth is likely not the narrative radical leftist push about climate change. It's the sun and how one powerful solar storm can take down grids worldwide.