"Gun sales surge in Louisiana following storm"

From 9/16:

People in Louisiana rushed to purchase guns in the chaotic days of looting and lawlessness following Hurricane Katrina, according to law enforcement officials still trying to track down thousands of other weapons that were lost or stolen.
The increase was sharpest in the days immediately following the hurricane, according to FBI criminal history background checks on prospective gun buyers.
The 13,256 checks requested in the first 12 days of September were nearly as many as for the entire month a year ago. FBI officials, careful to avoid being drawn into the politically hot topic of gun ownership, would not speculate on the reason for the increase...