The First 15 Things You Must Do Immediately After an EMP

 Original Article

By The Survival Mom 

I spent a few months researching EMP survival a couple of years ago. An EMP, or electromagnetic pulse, is a broadband burst of electromagnetic energy. This massively powerful wave has the potential to damage nearly everything electronic over hundreds of miles. So I wanted to discover how an EMP would affect the average household.

It wasn’t an easy task.

Much of what I found involved scenarios that have never happened or have happened only in third-world countries. It’s been challenging to apply those scenarios to the world I’ve grown up in.

In a weird way, this research was fun. It was a bit like Dr. David Livingstone venturing into parts of Africa that had never been imagined, much less explored. I asked questions like:

• Given enough time and lack of food, will my lovely next-door neighbors really turn into cannibals?
• Will the gangs and violent predators in the big city nearest me really begin going door to door, as a sort of perverse version of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, robbing, raping, and killing? On the other hand, could they end up killing each other first? This SHTF article has a somber take on these first two bullet points.
• Suppose well-prepared preppers have the perfect bug-out location, equipped with every survival supply possible. How will they get there if the electromagnetic pulse has destroyed the electronic-based engines in their vehicles?
• How will you live if you are far, far from home when the worst happens, and there is no way to get home, ever? Or what if it’s a child or your husband? Do you know what options you, or they, have?

Answering these questions made me realize a few things.

Table of contents

• The Difference Between EMP Survival and Surviving a Typical Natural Disaster, Medical Emergency, or Job Loss
• EMP Survival for Moderate Preppers
  • The Advantages Moderate Preppers Have
• Here’s a FREE EMP Survival Tool for You
• The First 15 Things You Must Do Immediately After EMP
• Video: The Golden Window of Time in EMP Survival
• More EMP Preparedness Resources

The Difference Between EMP Survival and Surviving a Typical Natural Disaster, Medical Emergency, or Job Loss

My approach to preparedness and survival in my first book, Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family For Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios, was all about common sense. My goal was to equip the average mom and household with information, checklists, and strategies for surviving a typical natural disaster, medical emergency, or job loss.

However, my EMP research was different. It contained a lot of doom and gloom because of the nature of a post-EMP world. A world with months and months of life without the power grid and, for the most part, permanently damaged electronics.

Eventually, the information I learned and the conclusions I came to made me think twice about the predictions found in most EMP survival novels. Books like One Second After are compelling stories but contain scenarios that not all EMP experts believe will happen.

Instead, I believe that desperate times encourage and, in fact, create just the type of environment that breeds innovation.

In a post-EMP world, many communities will devise new and better systems. Old ones may no longer be needed or wanted. Time and again, we’ve seen communities and entire civilizations rebound after major catastrophes and long-term disasters, such as droughts and years of warfare.

Human beings are damn smart when they need to be.

EMP Survival for Moderate Preppers

That’s where you, the moderate prepper, play an important role.

Take practical steps now to prepare for everyday emergencies. However, also keep in mind that worst-case scenarios are entirely possible. Here are a few suggestions:

• Each month, add new skills and knowledge. 
• Save money toward buying the gear and supplies that are truly necessary. 
• Prepare your body with exercise, training, and healthy eating so you are physically ready for difficult tasks, regardless of the crisis. 

The Advantages Moderate Preppers Have

I don’t believe that only Green Berets, Navy SEALS, and the most vicious, lawless predators will be the ones to survive.

In fact, moderate preppers already have many advantages over these groups. For instance, we recognize warning signs that have led us to take proactive steps to prepare. We’ve incorporated both the mindset and lifestyle of preparedness into our daily lives. By doing so, we blend in with every other household around us.

The “Gray Man“? Yeah, that’s us.

Above all, survivors of a worst-case scenario will need to think on their feet, quickly adapt and improvise, and be willing to connect with others to form communities.

Moderate preppers who continue to refine their skills and supplies, connect with like-minded people, and stay up to date with the world around them are excellent candidates for EMP survival.

I‘ve also listed:

• items that should be in everyone’s Get Home Bag
• tips for informing neighbors about what has happened and why this is a vital thing to do
• specific places to shop for last-minute supplies, even if you’re already well-stocked.

Additionally, you’ll find a detailed list of the first 15 things you need to do as soon as you realize an EMP has occurred. An abbreviated list is included here, however, I cover them thoroughly in the e-book and e-course.

The First 15 Things You Must Do Immediately After EMP

1. Verify what has happened.
2. Delegate tasks; there’s a lot to be done and the window of opportunity will have already begun to close. I’ve included a checklist of tasks in the e-book.
3. Deal with electrical fires generated by the EMP.
4. Address water needs.
5. Try to start every motorized vehicle you own.
6. Begin to gather your children. This may take some time depending on your transportation and the number of children. I give tips for this.
7. If you aren’t at home, get there as quickly as you can. A Get Home Bag will make this easier and safer, so I provide a checklist for what the bag should include in the e-book.
8. Determine a way to keep track of time.
9. Acquire last-minute supplies. I explain why this is a controversial step in the ebook and list the first things you should consider acquiring.
10. Continue shopping. Moving forward, and for an indefinite period of time, you’ll have five priorities. I’ve got suggested purchases for all of them.
11. Check up on close friends and family members if they live within walking distance. Or, if you have a vehicle and can make the trip quickly, send someone to check up on them. You may even decide to bring them back to your house; I share some pros and cons of doing this.
12. You can eat the food in your refrigerator and freezer before it becomes a health hazard or try one of the food preservation strategies I mention in the ebook.
13. Inform your neighbors.
14. Gather vital information.
15. Take steps to survive the season in which the EMP occurs.

Again, I cover each of these points in great detail in my free EMP Survival ebook and four email mini e-course.

Video: The Golden Window of Time in EMP Survival

In this short video, I explain what your golden window of time is and why it’s so important to use it wisely.