Nuclear Winter Whiteout by Bobby Akart (books for 8th graders .txt) 📕

matter or manmade as delivered by a high-yield nuclear warhead, impact us in similar ways. When a nuclear device explodes at high altitude, say between twenty-five and two hundred fifty miles above the Earth, it produces powerful gamma rays that radiate outward.

“As the gamma rays collide with molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, they are directed toward the planet surface in the form of a powerful electromagnetic energy field. The EMP does not directly cause human injuries, but it does destroy most electrical equipment and computerized devices as a surge of high-voltage current seeks out wiring or cables that act like antennas.”

The president raised his hand slightly to stop the director’s presentation. “Before you continue with what has been affected, let’s talk about the range these detonations had. They’re all different, correct?”

“Yes, Mr. President. For one, we’re dealing with several different types of detonations. This may seem illogical, but the higher the altitude of the burst, the farther the pulse of energy travels. The gamma rays spread outward from the detonation site. At twenty-five miles above the surface, they enter the atmosphere where ionization occurs and produce an electromagnetic wave. This wave travels unimpeded, and it radiates everything below it.

“The only example of this type of high-altitude EMP detonation occurred near Denver at an altitude of around twenty miles. Our analysis leads us to believe that this warhead was destined for Cheyenne Mountain, but our ballistic missile interceptors took it down near Boulder. The gamma rays radiated outward in a radius several hundred miles across the U.S.

“Now, contrast this with the ground burst in Washington, which radiated out a much shorter distance. The line of sight from ground zero was much shorter than the Colorado air detonation.”

“Okay, I understand,” said the president. “Now, is it possible for you to identify, either by your modeling or actual in-the-field research, what parts of the country were directly affected by the EMP effect?”

“We’ve begun that process through modeling, Mr. President. Next, with your permission, we’d like to utilize the military to assess the range of each nuclear detonation. Those parts of the nation that are outside the reach of the gamma rays will be able to achieve some sort of normalcy first. Assuming, of course, that the power grid can be restored.”

“Normalcy?” asked the president.

“Sir, I suppose that was a poor choice of words. Nothing will be normal for years to come, as Secretary Bergmann indicated in yesterday’s briefing. By normal, I mean vehicles and computers could still operate. Audio-visual equipment, for example, would work, enabling Americans to both receive and transmit information to satellites for further dissemination.”

“Hospitals, too, I presume.”

“Yes, sir. Most hospitals outside the EMP blast radius would have operating medical devices once electricity is restored. For a while, as we’ve discussed, they can operate using their generators, many of which are hardened against electromagnetic pulse energy already. However, they need fuel to function. Without the power grid, they have to rely upon propane, natural gas, or gasoline. All of which require their own power sources to be extracted and then delivered.”

The president sighed. The nation’s ability to function wasn’t totally destroyed. It simply meant he’d have to marshal the unaffected assets wisely. However, he thought to himself, without a functioning power grid, the task of recovery was near impossible.

“Our managed blackouts didn’t work to prevent the complete collapse of the grid, did they?”

The director grimaced and shook his head. “Sir, it was the only option we had, but you’re correct, the rolling blackouts simply prolonged the agony. It didn’t give us time to prevent the cascading failure.”

“What steps do we need to take to restore the grid? At least in the areas where the EMP blast didn’t have an effect.”

“Sir, prior studies have pointed to as many as fourteen bulk-power transformers that are especially vulnerable to the thermal damage resulting from an EMP event. These massive transformers, all made in China, I might add, convert high-voltage electricity from one transmission location to another, enabling it to move from the source of generation to the end user.

“Their proximity to the EMP blast determines whether it is ruined or simply rendered inoperable. Further analysis is needed to understand the extent of damage using site-specific data, including the overall condition of the transformer. That said, the cascading failure will necessarily result in the removal and replacement of the computer systems for each transformer. These are unique to the transformer and must be rebuilt to those exact specifications.”

“How long would it take to replace a transformer and its computer system?” asked the president.

The director shook his head side to side as he contemplated his answer. “Years, under normal circumstances. Because Japan was hit by the DPRK’s nukes, China is our only source for replacement components. We’re totally reliant upon them at this point.”

The president slumped in his chair, allowing the director’s final words to hang in the air.

Chapter Twenty-One

Saturday, November 2

Central North Carolina

A dog barking incessantly in the distance awoke Peter that morning. He’d passed out sitting up, and eventually during his sleep, he’d slid over on his side, sleeping in a fetal position to ward off the cold. The barking dog might have been his new friend, but when several others joined in, a cacophony of breeds awoke the rural neighborhood just like a rooster might on a farm.

Peter gripped his rifle and forced his sore body to stand. He rolled his eyes as he questioned if it would ever recover. He unstrapped the bungee cords from his bicycle and eased the door open. It was daylight. Well, as much as daylight was allowed to appear during nuclear winter.

The sounds of the dogs barking in the distance were louder now but sufficiently far enough away not to concern him. After he relieved his bladder, he slipped back into the storage building and plotted out his day.

He was beginning to establish a routine after only a few days on the road. He checked his wounds and took his medications. He repacked his duffels