We really need to start harden our grid and in all ways prepare for something like this. It will happen again and I suspect we will say: “no one could have predicted it” once it does.
Any electrical circuits unshielded have potential to overload in a solar storm like the Carrington event. Induction from magnetism creates a current even in disconnected circuitry and wires. See: https://www.wired.com/2011/09/0902magnetic-storm-disrupts-te...
Telegraph operators were able to communicate even though disconnected during the event.
With better tooling this kind of status quo will change. Choosing a single worst case for design is a product of manual design processes. With modern computer technology we can run multiple cases easily, so we can now use probabilistic engineering techniques.
In the future it won’t be “this bridge is good for 1 in 100 year storm” but “this bridge has a 99.99% chance of surviving every storm during its design life.” That will include the very rare events beyond the 100 year horizon.
Wasn't society supposed to collapse from Y2K too? The people doing this research need funding, and no one is going to give them funding unless, it's to make sure that this won't wipe out society.
If the grid collapses in any meaningful way because of a solar storm, we're all f'ed, try rebuilding the grid without a grid. Something tells me this won't happen.
I'm guessing what actually happens is a few breakers trip, the grid is out for a few days and we're back up and running a few days later.
Y2K supports the point that something should be done. The reason nothing terrible happened is because lots investment was made in remediating the issue.
I doubt anything in the electrical grid or that mattered actually cared about the two digit year being 00. Best case scenario some bills were going to be messed up / reissued.
SCADA controlled water pumps never cared what the date was, maybe it ran on the cycle for the wrong day and the backup kicked in, big whoop.
https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsFeatures/2020/Pages/New-ca...