I was around in NJ when the 1967 and 1989 riots broke out. State government took 72 hours to deploy. Local cops barely held the cordoned off riot area and neighboring town citizens were on their own because their local cops were held in reserve to support the cops in the riot zone, and they protected city hall and police HQ. The same thing happen in the LA riots, except the politicians will take longer to make a decision (they needed time to do their political calculus on reelection before they can deal with public safety). So if you are smart, stock up for one week of food and water, and clean them guns and get them ready if you got them. Charlton Heston told a great story about the LA riots. When the rich neighborhoods were threaten, Mr Heston's liberal neighbors (many critics of the NRA) begged him to borrow his guns for self protection. He informed them that he could not because it was against the law to do so. When they asked how one buys a gun in California, he said they were shocked when they found out that there was a waiting period.
Yup. Happened just like that.
I was at the corner of Wilshire and Bixel, watching the fires get closer, and realized at some point that the cops were just going to let 'em burn for a while. Had two separate carloads of vatos show me their fine collection of firearms on the drive home that afternoon, and when I finally got home, my dumb liberal neighbor was there asking if her husband could borrow a self-defense tool.
Much, much better to be prepared, than the other way 'round.