As New Orleans is returned to something of a state of nature — where life is nasty, brutish, and short — looting has taken place in plain view of overwhelmed law enforcement.
The power of nature has released the brutish side of human nature. The instinct for survival has obviously taken over, but what of the myriad looters who would self-interestedly maximize their power by taking what does not belong to them? Predictable, but disgusting.