What is an EMP?

Frank Gaffney, founder and president of the Center for Security Policy discusses EMP and the possible consequences.

‘EMP stands for Electromagnetic Pulse, a phenomenon that can be caused by natural occurrences such as intense solar activity or by detonation of a nuclear weapon high above the Earth, outside of the atmosphere. It can also be created locally by more narrowly targeted weapons called Radio Frequency (RF) weapons.

Basically, an EMP has a very damaging effect on electronics and electrical systems, and if an EMP were to occur, particularly on key components of our electric grid including transformers and SCADA systems, it could have a truly catastrophic effect on the United States.’