Natural disaster
A solar flare is a phenomenon where the Sun suddenly releases a great amount of solar radiation, much more than normal. Solar flares are unlikely to cause any direct injury, but can destroy electrical equipment. The potential of solar storms to cause disaster was seen during the 1859 Carrington event, which disrupted the telegraph network, and the March 1989 geomagnetic storm which blacked out Quebec. Some major known solar flares include the X20 event on August 16, 1989, and a similar flare on April 2, 2001. The most powerful flare ever recorded occurred on November 4, 2003 (estimated at between X40 and X45).
Solar cycle 23
Another major aurora display was observed on 1 April 2001, due to a coronal mass ejection hitting the Earth's magnetosphere. Auroras were observed as far south as Mexico and South Europe. A large solar flare (the second-most powerful ever recorded) occurred on 2 April 2001, an X20-class, but the blast was directed away from Earth.