We're getting a bit too hardhearted, here.
The mothers with babies are one thing... one said she was hitch-hiking with a small baby (she had in her arms) but the others... if they stole the bus... well.. deal with them Texas-justice-style...
Well, I do give them credit for being creative. But the hard fact is that lawlessness is a serious problem in New Orleans. The message cannot be that looters are rewarded. They should be prosecuted for their crime. When they end up in a Texas jail, they won't be hungry or drowning.
And, by the way, innocent people in New Orleans are going to die because rescuers have to delay efforts to save them due to lawless thieves in the city. This must not be rewarded.