We've covered this topic before (it just sounds like a CPF topic, doesn't it) and it turns out that it would be possible for a hypothetical ICBM-armed enemy to do an EMP-specific attack: Setting off a warhead ~120 miles above Los Angeles, for example, would be sufficient to blackout not just the West Coast, but *everything west of the Rockies*, with no blast, heat, or (nuclear) radiation damage at all.
The catch is the aforementioned ICBM - only the countries that can afford the most advanced defense systems have them, so this technique isn't possible for "terrorists" (who are more likely to use a dirty bomb) or even the North Koreans (would use a standard blast nuclear attack), though China could do it.
If you're truly distressed by remote possibility of an EMP attack, or you just want to try a fun project, you can build your own EMP-proof box. Just grab any container (Pelican case, cigar box, even a cardboard box) and some copper screening (available at your local crafts store) - coat the entire exterior of the container with the copper screening, ensuring the screening touches at the seams/openings and there's no bare spots. That's it. Place a small radio tuned to a strong local station inside the box, and if all it receives is static when the box is closed, it works - you now have a fully EMP-proof utility box. :thumbsup:
