A draft Senate report, meanwhile, finds that the airways will probably be safe, nuclear weapons won't be fired accidentally, and most electric grids will stay on line. While cautioning against panic, they suggest storing bottled water and canned goods and saving printouts of financial records, just in case. In some cases, medical records could be lost and sophisticated equipment shut down. Some 50 percent of American small businesses are also reportedly unprepared. The Senate March 2 passed a bill to provide loan guarantees for small businesses to get their equipment in order.
Overseas disruptions are likely to be far greater.
These could impact the US economy. The Pentagon is already consulting with Russia about its missile-warning systems. Russian nuclear plants and fuel pipelines are also vulnerable, according to a CIA study. The senators back a plan to bring US, Russian, and other nuclear-weapons experts together to ensure computer failures do not lead to mistaken missile launches next Jan. 1. The Pentagon is already working with Russia.