science

Just like all storms, the geomagnetic storm scale is imperfect. It maxes out at G5, so it's possible for a substantially worse storm to be in the same category as what we saw last weekend.

The 2003 event produced the biggest-ever solar flare ever measured, an X45. That year, several BIG transformers exploded in South Africa. This event's biggest so is 8.7. A lot depends on where it's aimed at ... but anyway , no, we are not prepared.