We've had hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and the like throughout the history of the US of A, and I've seen no evidence of roving bands of thugs and "checkpoints" where people take your stuff when you pass through their crimeland. Shrug - as you say, it makes for good movies, but it hasn't happened in reality in all the devastating hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes we've suffered through.

I'm not going to go bugging out in my devastated city because there's nowhere to go on the San Francisco peninsula. My expectation is that the two major arteries will be blocked by fallen overpasses, and the local streets will be covered in rubble. I'm not going to walk all those miles south through that kind of crap -- I can't make it at my age and in my condition.

I'll bug in, and anyone who wants to join us will be welcome. If we're here long enough for food and clothes to run out, we'll do what everyone did in New Orleans - meet up at the street corners and share information on where stuff is. Event the cops were in the same straits as everyone else, and 'looting' of food and clothing was not only allowed, but the cops were there, too. People found looting consumer electronics and liquor were arrested, charged, and tried for looting, but people taking food and clothing were not punished. I expect the same here.