Sure, the likelihood of that happening along with people being murdered is zero, but still, there's historical prescient. When the banks had all their deposits raided in the late 20's, the government and news agencies assured the public that everything was stable. After a week or 2 of people re-depositing, the banks closed their doors. Not only did my grandparents and great grandparents lose all their money, they were unable to retrieve their safety deposit box contents. Just because there's a nut running around saying its the end of the world doesnt mean you shouldnt prepare a bit. 15 gallons of spare gasoline isnt a huge dangerous hoard, especially if you're in an area thats ran out of gas. There's also several articles expressing concern that this wont be the last instance of this happening.