The primary point of the article is to emphasize that such a scenario need not be an insurmountable problem. Getting in front of the developing story is the key. A reassuring tone would need to be quickly established by civic & business leaders by forming agreements regarding the development of workable solutions, clearly communicating these via the media, and rapid implementation to maintain the public’s confidence. If this is accomplished, then social unrest can be minimized so resources are deployed toward the actual distribution of goods and services instead of maintaining law & order. Keeping the public calm for the first 48-72 hours should ensure that the rest of the shutdown period should proceeds smoothly until all systems are back online.