Good article - but the damage recovery times are way overestimated - because there ARE other ways to do things. You can probably kiss good cell phone coverage goodbye for quite a long time, but the power would definitely be restored far more quickly. Telegraph wire and phone wire are far more susceptible to flashing from an overvoltage, and heating up.
NOTE carefully that the current damage assessments concentrate on the 'transformers' and do not claim that the high tension lines themselves would need replacing. That is important.
Transformers - One huge one - versus a couple hundred wired in parallel - both can do the same job, even at high voltages.
This claim is EXTREMELY DUBIOUS:
>> and destroying the just laid intercontinental telegraph cable at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Sorry, an EMP does NOT penetrate water more than a few inches - feet at the most. i would have to look further in to that to see what the claim is actually based on - a pulse that traveled down the cable from onshore - poor fusing and overvoltage protection is my suspicion.
Planes, autos, trucks all can take direct lightning strikes - and survive, even today. So, I remain unconvinced that an EMP would totally disable transportation - nor does the report you cite make that claim.
There are more than one way to a skin a cat - and America is absolutely BRIMMING with ingenious people. Solutions exist, and would be implemented. Would life be 'uncomfortable' for a while ? Possibly; possibly even miserable for a bit. Years ? Nope.
Then there is the fact that one doesn't get a missile/device 30-200 miles above the 'central United States' instantaneously. Everyone keeps talking about HARDENING the 'power grid'. Time enough to disconnect those transformers (switches tain't that tough) with a big enuff switch. Like I said, more'n one way ta skin 'em.
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