Citing the country’s already vulnerable energy grid, William R. Forstchen, Ph.D. recently warned an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), attack would wipe out power and set off a cascade of deadly events. The first necessity people would lose is water, followed by food supply and medication. Then, disease would set in. Long-term survival, he added, would depend on being in the right place at the right time with the right food supply. The origin of an EMP can be natural or artificial from, for example, a nuclear missile exploding above Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, the most likely bullseye in an attack on America.
“I believe the threat of America being hit by an EMP weapon is the single greatest danger to our survival,” Forstchen said. “Electricity is the fundamental building block of our society. Everything is predicated on electrification.”
An EMP causes widespread cataclysmic damage to power grids due to what’s called the Compton effect, he explained. The Trump Administration has proposed a “Golden Dome” tactical defense for such threats.
“Israel has an effective tactical defense system known as the Iron Dome, which shoots down missiles in the final seconds before impact,” Forstchen explained. “A Golden Dome, by comparison, is a strategic defense to neutralize ballistic missiles in space before they get near the U.S. It’s a no-brainer to me. We need a strategic defense system.”
“An electromagnetic pulse is the byproduct of detonating a nuclear weapon. When a nuclear weapon is detonated 200 to 250 miles above the earth, the gamma ray burst when it hits the upper atmosphere sets off the Compton effect. In essence, a giant electrostatic discharge hits the earth’s surface and wipes out electronic devices as well as entire power grids, leaving affected areas in the dark,” he said.
Forstchen has written extensively about the devastating impact of EMP strikes, beginning with his New York Times bestseller, One Second After, which offers a realistic look at the weapon and its awesome power to destroy the entire United States, literally within one second. One Second After spawned three sequels, each of which is a fictional exploration rooted in the cold, solid facts of how an EMP strike above U.S. soil would impact society.
Oklahoma’s Tinker Air Force Base is considered a bullseye for this type of attack because it is in the center of the country and because the base houses communication aircraft critical in any national crisis.
One Second After is being adapted into an MPI Original Film (Motherland, Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game) in association with Startling Inc. (Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon). The feature film is penned by legendary sci-fi screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski (Changeling, Sense8, Jeremiah, Babylon 5), with Forstchen serving as an executive producer.
About the author: William R. Forstchen is a Professor of History at Montreat College, in Montreat, North Carolina. He holds a doctoral degree from Purdue University with a specialization in military history and technology. He is the author of more than 50 books. A noted expert historian and public speaker, he has been interviewed on FOX News, C-SPAN and many others on topics ranging from history to technology and cultural issues, to space technology development, to security threats. For more information, visit https://www.onesecondafter.com