There are two global catastrophes that ancient cultures were capable of predicting far in advance: massive solar storms & the return of a comet aimed for Earth. Either of these events could be devastating to society, killing millions and changing the way we live forever. The ancient Mayan Long Count calendar ends on Dec 21, 2012. And they believed on this date the Gods would wipe out human beings.
Regardless of the Mayan prophecy, being prepared is a sane and practical response to knowing that global disasters will continue to occur - including tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, war,...