Earth survived near-miss from 2012 solar storm: NASA

05 Aug 2014 • phys.org

It also would have been twice as bad as the 1989 solar storm that knocked out power across Quebec, scientists said. “I have come away from our recent studies more convinced than ever that Earth and its inhabitants were incredibly fortunate that the 2012 eruption happened when it did,” said Baker.

The National Academy of Sciences has said the economic impact of a storm like the one in 1859 could cost the modern economy more than two trillion dollars and cause damage that might take years to repair. Experts say solar storms can cause widespread power blackouts, disabling everything from radio to GPS communications to water supplies—most of which rely on electric pumps.

Sounds like something right out of a Star Trek episode - the kind of thing the Enterprise might be protecting a poor, unsuspecting planet against.