People tend to behave after a disaster

http://www.salon.com/2013/05/26/the_medias_warped_coverage_of_post_disaster_haiti_partner/

"In fact, Grand Rue melees were the exception, not the rule. Just as in New York after Sandy, responders and many journalists looking back on the postquake moment would highlight the lack of unrest in their after-action reports, often crediting their own presence, such as the UN adviser who told the Los Angeles Times: 'There has been no rioting over food, and we avoided people dying of hunger or thirst. This is no small accomplishment.' As Auf der Heide has written, 'Even when looting is not actually observed, that fact is often attributed to the extraordinary security measures that have been taken rather than the fact that such behavior is inherently uncommon.'”

If people assume there will be riots and such, they will send the military and police, rather than useful first responders who could actually help the people. This is an important article to help decide how to plan for disaster relief.