I get where Pippa was going with it, people looting TVs from a store doesn't really matter in a large scale natural disaster, it's not good but it's not the end of the world. The big problem is the first looters will stripe mine the area and then people in the area who need medication, food, or whatever won't have access to it afterwards. The cops protecting the Walmart aren't just protecting TVs or the business, but the goods in that building that people need to survive which might not be easily brought in at a reasonable scale for a period of time after the disaster.