It seems to me that:

People panic when pressure is exerted and they are not confident in their knowledge of what they should be doing, while they however are still capable of doing something.

When real catastrophe's occur, those who are likely to panic often lapse into stunned immobility, kind of like shock. This leaves the way clear for others willing to act.

Some of these others might be in a panic, however, they seem to be those who have been through some crap without panic and are often both capable and willing to follow someone who seems to know what to do. I think this is often our best hope.