I think it applies for the same reasons. The smarter people ran. The criminals stayed to exploit the situation. If the hurricane hit when the area was fully populated with a full spectrum of different types of people, I think it would have much less disorder.
Many here at FR were wondering why people weren't being told more forcefully to evacuate many hours before the call to do so came.
Some don't realize that many people don't follow impending events as well as they do.
For instance, my dad (in CA) didn't realize how bad the storm was getting, so wasn't as concerned about his sisters in Purvis (12 miles SSW of Hattiesburg) as he should have been. Although, being 60 miles inland, the Hattiesburg disaster probably wouldn't have been expected.
Anyway, the gov and mayor should have been loudly and forcefully pushing people out, long before the President called to say 'get the people the f out of there'. IMHO
No doubt.....at this point any looters stealing anything but food or water should be shot.