What Would Happen If The Carrington Event-Sized CME Hit Us ... A Carrington-level solar storm today would be catastrophic, causing widespread, long-term blackouts by frying power grid transformers, knocking out satellites (GPS, communication), disrupting internet/phones, halting transportation/finance/water systems, and causing food/medical spoilage, potentially leaving millions without power for weeks or months and costing trillions, crippling modern digital society.