(NaturalNews) Survival experts are generally in agreement about one thing: the biggest danger in a major disaster will not necessarily be the direct effects of whatever the cause is (power grid failure, economic collapse, etc.), but rather the threat posed by millions of desperate people bent on survival at any cost.

Imagine what would happen in major population centers if, for instance, a massive solar flare knocked out the entire power grid of the United States — a scenario that could easily happen, according to scientists, and one that may be more a case of when rather than if.

Some experts predict that such an outage could take months, or even years, to repair. If that were the case, our large cities would rapidly become unlivable and millions of inhabitants would become desperate, if unwitting, human predators practically overnight.

It’s a chilling scenario, but it could happen.

Most survivalists recommend a SHTF preparedness plan that includes what has been termed “strategic retreat” — in other words, choosing a destination where the chances of survival will be greater. This is typically up to seven miles away from a major highway, a distance considered far enough away to keep hordes of people from disturbing your critical resources.   source