I am a safety officer for a uniformed federal disaster response medical team. Actually, we have very nice insulated, climate-controlled tents for our field hospital. I have been on numerous operations, including the WTC on 9/11 and Katrina.

WE DO NOT SEIZE PRIVATE PROPERTY, EVER, nor would we tolerate anyone doing so in our presence. Our security element would probably arrest any of us who tried, and we would certainly be fired and sent home, if our teammates didn't beat us senseless and then resign in protest themselves first. The Constitution and laws remain in effect, even during disasters. The only thing we might commandeer is several tables at the nearest open pub.

I could tell you a very interesting story about our encounter with some out of control, heavily armed local "authorities" who tried such nonsense, but, well, I can't. Let's just say that there was zero tolerance for illegal behavior, and the problem went away.