The descent of humanity

What does the devastation of New Orleans and the "descent into anarchy" mean? How could a city much the size of Adelaide be blitzed by natural disaster and then find itself held to ransom by marauding gangs of gun-toting thugs? It would be easy to moralise and lots of commentators are suggesting "there but for the grace of God go I". See Rex Jory's curious comment here. Inevitably, he suggests, Adelaide will face its own hurricano. While he makes some tentative points about the new Port Adelaide developments proximity to sea and the inadequacy of the Pat's drainage. He rather misses the point.
Of course he reminds us of the 1954 earthquake, and there is no doubt that a similar event would have devastating effect in a much more populated city. He doesn't mention the great fires of the last thirty years, or the great flood of 1956 which has deeply affected every person who lived in the riverland at the time.
We do not need to wait for our own Katerina; we have already, and regularly continue to have the same.
But one thing we don't have, and that is a myriad of gunshops for looters to arm themselves with.
May we ever bear that in mind.