I guess they could barter....
I saw looters after the Northridge Earthquake...in expensive areas...they were stealing everything from donuts to office furniture.
The only thing I could possibly understand stealing is food and water, most especially for the children, elderly, or ill, as there's no means of getting these things to them before the frail die.
The govt. doesn't appear able to bring in food/water supplies...and, for many, there's no way of cooking/sterilization anything or transporting themselves to anything.....even if they took precautions of getting ample food supplies before the hurricane hit....
But there's absolutely no excuse for stealing t.v.'s, dozens of jeans...my word, it's not as if the bomb hit the entire United States and that help won't be coming.....or that copters won't be dropping food stuffs....or something in the next couple of days.....