GLD etf small investor and panic scenarios or national emergencies?

How will this perform in situations like investor panic or a national disaster? Wouldn’t investors be kept from their money? How will the bureaucracy to protect investors contend with a national emergency and widespread panic?

Wouldn’t possession of the actual gold (or even silver) avoid all this? And i’m not talking billion dollar investors here, average or small investors making their first investments in the precious metals sector.