Between sensational Hollywood blockbusters, Nibiru theories, and interpretations of the Mayan calendar, much fear and panic has spread regarding December 21, 2012, the day of the alleged apocalypse. Fear not, however, as one company has found a simple solution to surviving the end of the world: privately co-owned, comfortable, long-term autonomous, underground bunkers.

Robert Vicino is the founder of the Vivos Group, a southern California enterprise responsible for building a nationwide network of survival shelters, for 2012, the coming encounter of Apophis in 2029, or whatever and whenever the need may come. To date, the company's first underground complex has started construction near Barstow, California. Each nuclear blast proof facility is engineered to withstand surface temperatures reaching 1,250 Fahrenheit (for 10 days), a force 10 magnitude earthquake, water submersion for up to 500 hours, or winds of 450 MPH, as well as radiation, biological or chemical attack.

As the apocalypse may come in many forms, the shelters are also made to withstand the pressure of 90-pound hailstones traveling at the speed of 100 MPH, a "50 megaton air burst" detonated from 20 miles away, and, in the event of social anarchy, the compound may even serve as an armed fortress.

Each shelter will hold 172-200 people (with approximately 100 sq. feet allotted per person) and will be equipped with enough food, clothing, medicine, fuel, water and survival gear for one whole year. A well stocked menu of freeze-dried foods, an urgent medical and dental care center, and a large wardrobe inventory will be among some of the amenities.

There are current plans to build 20 shelters around the nation, each within 150-200 miles of major metropolitan areas. Though at complete build out Vivos will accommodate 4,000 people, Vicino markets the facility as a "modern day Noah's Ark" wherein there will be a broad cross-section of people of all ages, religions, professional abilities and skills for the benefit of the entire group. Vivos is also encouraging universities to donate DNA samples of "every living thing on Earth" to be stored in their refrigerated vaults.