Solar flares and magnetic storms will wreck calamity on Earth’s electrical grids. When? Shortly after Mr. Sun rouses himself from what’s been an exceptionally long and deep nap.

Here’s something worth reading from a Mr. Joseph, at Huffington Post.  (No, I won’t often link Huffington Post, but informative and apolitical pieces should be rewarded.)

Folks, you really, really should be set up for independent survival, for a few weeks’ at least. Especially people in urban areas.

If you’re an S/F or sci-fi or even Sy-Fy fan, you might enjoy this Zelazny/Thomas novel about ol’ Sol wrecking civilization with one shrug of his electromagnetic shoulders.