To the drone supporters who somehow think that their new gear should be allowed unfettered access to protected airspace around disaster zones ...
Please understand that those of us who trust our flying machines enough to commit our own bottoms to being within them have the following task list, usually in ever-changing priorities:-
a) Keep our own machine flying and working the task.
b) Avoid running into other machines who are similarly occupied.
c) Battle the viz that Gordy describes, or the high winds and other met' extremes that probably caused the disaster in the first place.
d) Operate at very low levels while avoiding running into wires and all the other ground obstructions.
e) Sometimes control a long line with a bucket or a person suspended.
f) Give maximum spare attention (review the list above to see if you've got any!) to the ground scenario we are there to assist with.
g) SAVE LIVES.
If you want to help, go offer yourself and your equipment to the controller of the airspace. If he doesn't need you then retire gracefully.
If you ignore all that and still launch your shiny new toy into that airspace you are considerably adding to the task list above. Can you justify any possible reason why you should be allowed to do that?
Regardless of any laws or regulations an act of deliberately hindering life saving efforts is a moral CRIME and should be dealt with in that vein.
Drones may indeed have a positive role to play in many scenarios in years to come but as any new kid will tell you it's best to learn the rules, etiquette, morals and peer hierarchy before flexing your elbows in the playground. The alternative is a punch in the gob and eternal ejection from the playground.
BTW ... Hats off to all those who were airborne over New Orleans ten years ago today. The spirit of mutual respect and co-operation between consummate professionals saved many lives ... because we could TALK to each other.