What is the likelihood of large-scale solar generated EMP catastrophe? http://WashingtonExaminer.com 4 Answers Rupert Baines , Wouldn't it be interesting if....? Answered Sep 24 2014 One of my colleagues was on a government advisory board about just this There are different intensity solar flares, from trivial to severe. The one to be scared of is "Carrington Event" Solar storm of 1859 If (when) happens it could be really, really bad The Wikipedia article has some nice descriptions (Northern lights visible as far south as Caribbean etc). One estimate (from NASA) "A contemporary repetition of the Carrington Event would cause … extensive social and economic disruptions. Power outages would be accompanied by radio blackouts and satellite malfunctions; telecommunications, GPS navigation, banking and finance, and transportation would all be affected. Some problems would be lasting: a burnt-out multi-ton transformer, for...