People are just stupid about these things. I keep in mind that anarchy is only a few days away from an interrupted food supply.
I also have a hand pumped water purifier that can take just about everything but some chemicals out of the water, so I can go down to the nasty river near me if I had to to get water to drink if there were no firewood available.
Don’t let the panic stricken sheep dissuade you.
Proper prepping prevents panic.