Minnesota’s Billion-Dollar Space Weather Wake-Up Call

We don't often think about space weather, but as the human race gets more technologically advanced, it's becoming important. Solar storms that hit Earth are caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that come from our Sun. It takes several days for these solar rays to intercept Earth. The sun and solar flares are monitored by the Space Weather Prediction Center.

Remember a couple of summers ago when we had one of the most fascinating light shows from the Northern Lights? That was a strong solar storm. It's been called the Gannon Storm of 2024, and it showed us how vulnerable we can be to these solar storms.

A Billion Dollar In Lost Production On Minnesota Farms

green tractor on brown grass field under blue sky during daytime

MPR Meteorologist Ben Cathey wrote an article for MPR describing how the Gannon Storm of 2024 affected farming production. The intense solar storm might have been beautiful, but it caused havoc on GPS systems. Modern tractors and other farm equipment use GPS. Many tractors nowadays have an autodrive feature that relies on GPS. It's estimated that it costs corn growers in Minnesota a billion dollars.

During the solar storm, machines weren't working correctly. Farmers thought it might be a mechanical problem. With the planting slowed or paused, it costs farmers an estimated $17,000 each.

We Are Unprepared For Another Strong Solar Storm

2024 had the strongest solar storm in many years. Solar storms can cause problems with satellites in space, radios, GPS, and more. Think about how much we rely on GPS these days.

1859 Solar Storm Caused Fires

The Carrington Event is the strongest solar storm on record. It happened in 1859, and it was so strong that telegraph wires sparked and even caused fires. Can you imagine that today? Our power grid would go down, electronics would be fried, and it could be a catastrophic disaster.

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Is There Anything You Can Do To Protect Yourself?

The National Weather Service has a list of things you can do to protect yourself. The biggest impact would be widespread power outages. So they suggest you print out hard copy maps and have them available. Invest in a solar-powered or hand-cranked generator.

Also, try to keep your vehicle tank at least half full. Gas pumps won't be able to pump gas if there is no power.

How Often Do Solar Storms Happen?

The last major event was the Gannon Solar Storm of 2024. NOAA says the vast majority of these storms don't cause catastrophic damage. A G5 storm or higher happens about 4 times during every 11-year cycle.