South Australians have been urged to be more resilient to better cope with emergencies like last year's statewide blackout.
A report into the response by emergency services and government departments has found that despite their approach being somewhat ad-hoc they handled the situation well.
Former SA police commissioner Gary Burns, who conducted the review, said the officials and volunteers deserved praised for their efforts, dedication and commitment.
He said too often criticism was levelled at response agencies, particularly over the time taken to provide help.
"Much of this criticism comes from individuals and groups in the community who need to be far more resilient and take responsibility for their own safety," Mr Burns said in his report on Monday.
Commenting after its release, he said a large number of South Australians had unrealistic expectations on the assistance they should receive.
"People should accept that in events like this you're not necessarily going to get an SES van at your door straight away," he said.
"People need to look at what they can do for themselves."
Mr Burns' report includes more than 60 recommendations which the state government says it will respond to once they have been properly considered.
They include police developing an evacuation plan for the Adelaide CBD and for the appointment of a fulltime recovery coordinator.
The report also called for a state plan be developed to manage the consequences of a major blackout and for SA Health to review its emergency management arrangements.
The state plan should include public information strategies, the identification of key providers for fuel and arrangements for the distribution of food.
Another recommendation suggests traffic lights in the CBD and on major arterial roads be fitted with uninterrupted power supplies to ensure the effective movement of vehicles.
September's statewide blackout came as SA was lashed by severe thunderstorms and destructive winds which brought down major transmission lines in the state's mid-north.
Most of Adelaide was without power for several hours but the blackout lasted for several days in some regional centres.
Emergency Services Minister Peter Malinauskas said many of the recommendations in Mr Burns' report had significant budget implications but it was important for South Australia to build its resilience to natural disasters into the future.
