I consider myself a prepper. Am I prepping for some end-of-the-world scenario? No, I doubt there is much out there that will end the world.
Scenario one, A CME could knock out several dozen of our major transformer substations. Guess what, we don't manufacture them in the states and there is an 18 month lead time for them.
Scenario two, North Korea (and I am sure several other of our enemies) is developing a major EMP weapon. Deploy it from 30 to 300 miles up over central USA and no more power grid, many vehicles disabled and severe disruption of communications, again with several months to years needed to fix it.
Scenario three: Failure of our economic system with breakdown in all supply trains. Only 3 days of food in most food distribution centers. Think about what happens in stores with the slightest emergency. What will you eat after three days is gone by and you can't just hop over to the supermarket? Not to mention no gas. And what will all those nice reasonable folks on the public dole do when their checks stop arriving? Just say "well, thanks for all you have given us in the past" and roll over and starve?
Scenario four: Major outbreak of disease (either natural or terroristic) like the Spanish flu epidemic or other large pandemic that wipes out a majority of the population and the support for the technological grid that holds us together.
Then add in local events such as flood, tornadoes, hurricanes. My father and step-mom were recently without water for a week, power for 2 weeks and telephone/internet for 4 weeks after the tornadoes in Alabama.
I would rather have it, and not need it, than need it, and not have it.
With the me-first attitudes, entitlement generation(s), and lack of preparedness out there (oh Obama will take care of me, after all I voted for him!) you better think of defending what you have from your neighbors as when you are at the narrow passage there is no brother and no friend and they will come for what you have.