You know, after Andrew, my neighborhood was wrecked. It wasn't flooded, but the wind damage exceeded most of what happened in NOLA. Lots of folks left town, they didn't want to live in a wrecked place with no electricity.
We stayed in our home, though, as did many. We got a generator, pumped water from a well, and generally did well. And we were armed. That part was a necessity the first week, while we were isolated.
No one came to Miami and disarmed the citizens, or forced them out of their homes. The cops didn't desert either. It may come as a surprise to Mayor Nagin, but everyone did fine, which IIRC, is the entire premise of America, that given a chance, people do fine on their own.
Same back in '92 LA riot. When it became clear the LEOs couldn't protect anyone everyone armed up. We've all seen the images of the heavily armed Koreans guarding their stores by the hundreds.
I vividly recall seeing neighbors on the roofs of their homes, on top of their businesses, and groups of heavily armed neighbors standing in their driveways. I remember one large taxi company, with 50 plus citizens on the roof, with shotguns, scoped long rifles, handguns, you name it.
And the best part of all, LAPD cruising by, and everyone giving each other the thumbs ups.
Those images are sealed in my mind, and gave me more faith in America than anything I can recall.