system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
What would have happened if the solar storm of 2012 directly hit the Earth?
gpt
First, xrays and uv radiation would have hit us at light speed, ionizing the upper atmosphere.  That would have interfered with radio and gps for a short time. 

Second, solar particle radiation (electrons and protons) would have smashed into the magnetosphere, which would have done an excellent job in protecting us, but a lot of satellites would have had their electronics fried (causing an estimated 30 to 70 billion dollars worth of damage). 

Third, the coronal mass ejection, pretty slow, but the most dangerous.  A huge ejection of plasma and magnetic field would have hit our magnetosphere and caused a geomagnetic storm. The high currents in the magnetosphere would have induced high currents in power lines - taking out the power stations, and anything plugged in. And more satellites. 

There's a 12% chance of  Carrington class event hitting the earth within the next ten years.

Interestingly, during the flare in 1859, when telegraph operators disconnected the batteries that powered the lines, they were still able to transmit messages. Just by using the aurora-induced electric currents in the wires.