The Wire - May 10, 2024

//The Wire//1500Z May 10, 2024//
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//BLUF: SALVAGE OPERATIONS REGARDING M/V DALI CONTINUE. G4 GEOMAGNETIC STORM EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND.//
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-International Events-
Global: Solar weather conditions indicate possible degradation of radio comms worldwide over the weekend. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch due to 5x Earth-bound Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) observed over the past 24 hours.
South America: Yesterday the U.S. Embassy in Guyana confirmed that two American aircraft from the USS George Washington CSG conducted a flyover of the capital city of Georgetown. AC: This action is a reminder that tensions in Guyana continue to simmer, as Venezuelan forces continue to build airfields on the border with Guyana’s oil-rich Essequibo region.
-HomeFront-
Maryland: Crews continue to work to remove the wreckage of the M/V DALI from the debris of the destroyed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Salvage operations have been slow going due to the sheer magnitude of the incident. The Unified Command in control of the salvage efforts has announced a major phase of the operation, to remove a major section of the bridge from the bow section of the DALI. Explosives will be used as part of this controlled demolition. As such, locals will hear several explosions in the vicinity of the bridge on Saturday, after 5:30 pm.
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Analyst Comments: The G4 solar storm forecast is significant, but probably won’t have much impact on everyday citizens. This is an unusual event as this is the third G4 storm watch issued since 2019, and the most significant solar event in the past decade.
The biggest impact this may have to citizens around the world (which will vary due to time of day) is the potential loss of grid power, to include power surges. As such, it is recommended to ensure surge protectors are used for sensitive electronics, and the basic preparedness of a power-loss plan is in place just in case limited blackouts occur. As almost all solar events generate panic in the public sphere, it is important to remember that these are regular events that occur at the peak of the solar cycle every few years. A very similar geomagnetic storm event occurred back in March, and very few people noticed or were impacted by it.
Analyst: S2A1
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