Geomagnetic Storm Alerts

[kenglish]

www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/northern-lights-visible-us-where-solar-storm-rcna151643

I lost Radio New Zealand on 7440 KHz, at around 8:00 AM, about an hour earlier than normal. Much of the shortwave band is very quiet, now.
I wonder how much effect this will have on other bands, throughout the day and in to the night, and how the MW band will react.

[kenglish]

When I lost RNZ, it was about the same time as the Solar X-Ray level peaked. I talked to my friend at RNZ's transmitter, and he noted that Spaceweather.com reported an additional CME this morning.
I heard some area hams talking about going up to the Golden Spike tomorrow. I wonder if anyone knows how far those rails extend continuously. It would be interesting to know if they would show more current than normal. During the big Carrington Event, enough current was induced in to telegraph lines that some stations caught fire, and operators received shocks.

[CAwasinNJ]

I'm sure that if the telegraph lines in the 1800's had been grounded by modern standards there wouldn't have been a problem, but that does raise an interesting question. Are rails grounded? I would think so even if it was just to protect against lightning strikes. (A quick search didn't yield a consensus.)

The current forecast (4PM) from NOAA Space Weather is showing that only extreme northern Utah has a chance of seeing an aurora tonight and nothing tomorrow. Too bad.

[kenglish]

The telegraph lines back in those days were probably separate lines, maybe with just a cloth insulation.
I wonder about rails. Wasn't there something about the hammer and the actual golden spike were supposed to be wired to a telegraph line, but it didn't work, so the telegrapher "faked it" with his key?