The “starving masses” I was referencing is the violence which ensues when the population realizes there are no resources. All societal norms are out the window.
Yes, those with any resources at all will have to wait it out for weeks.
In that case 5 days may be about right, as our supply chain comes to a grinding halt.
Many population centers have experienced disruptions over the years for things like hurricanes, and they don’t get overly alarmed at store shelves being empty... temporarily. In the Houston area we’ve had a few such such disruptions that lasted for several weeks, including power outages and stores closed.
But when people start to realize that the cavalry is not going to arrive and save them, they will panic. Things will get ugly fast. The further away people are from population centers the better, but that does not automatically mean safety. Even very remote areas are accessible within a few days of walking. And there will probably be lots of armed, violent gangs that have other means of transportation as well.
Probably a lot like The Walking Dead minus the zombies.