A method for suppressing an electrical surge induced by an electromagnetic pulse, "EMP", generated by a nuclear weapon detonation, the method comprising: detecting a first overvoltage exceeding a first E1 predetermined threshold level induced in an electrical system by an E1 component pulse ; within less than about one nanosecond after detection, shunting said first overvoltage to decrease the level of said first overvoltage to a second E1 predetermined threshold level using a first shunting assembly comprising a first plurality of shunt devices ; detecting a second overvoltage exceeding a first E2 predetermined threshold level induced in an electrical system by an E2 component pulse ; within less than about one microsecond after detection, shunting said second overvoltage to decrease the level of said second overvoltage to a second E2 predetermined threshold level using a second shunting assembly comprising a second plurality of shunt devices ; detecting a third overvoltage exceeding a first E3 predetermined threshold level induced in an electrical system by an E3 component pulse ; within less than about one second after detection, shunting said third overvoltage to decrease the level of said third overvoltage to a second E3 predetermined threshold level using a third shunting assembly comprising a third plurality of shunt devices ; wherein said first plurality of shunt devices, second plurality of shunt devices and third plurality of shunt devices are connected between various combinations of power, ground and neutral lines of the electrical system to detect and protect against line-to-line, line-to-neutral, line-to-ground and neutral-to-ground overvoltage events. detecting a first overvoltage exceeding a first E1 predetermined threshold level induced in an electrical system by an E1 component pulse ; within less than about one nanosecond after detection, shunting said first overvoltage to decrease the level of said first overvoltage to a second E1 predetermined threshold level using a first shunting assembly comprising a first plurality of shunt devices ; detecting a second overvoltage exceeding a first E2 predetermined threshold level induced in an electrical system by an E2 component pulse ; within less than about one microsecond after detection, shunting said second overvoltage to decrease the level of said second overvoltage to a second E2 predetermined threshold level using a second shunting assembly comprising a second plurality of shunt devices ; detecting a third overvoltage exceeding a first E3 predetermined threshold level induced in an electrical system by an E3 component pulse ; within less than about one second after detection, shunting said third overvoltage to decrease the level of said third overvoltage to a second E3 predetermined threshold level using a third shunting assembly comprising a third plurality of shunt devices ; wherein said first plurality of shunt devices, second plurality of shunt devices and third plurality of shunt devices are connected between various combinations of power, ground and neutral lines of the electrical system to detect and protect against line-to-line, line-to-neutral, line-to-ground and neutral-to-ground overvoltage events. <EOS>