My father in law teaches at Holy Cross High School in NOLA. I was really amazed at how quickly they 1) found everyone (hubby and I were living in Germany at the time of Katrina, and posted on a local newspaper forum in the searching for section, and I couldn’t believe how many emails I got from students, current at the time and former who wanted me to know that they were praying for him and us, and then after a few days, piles of emails from other teachers, students, and parents of students letting me know where he was) and 2) how quickly they had the school up and running again.
I could say ‘it’s a miracle” but it isn’t really. In every case where “informal voluntary associations” have been in or have come into existence in such emergencies, the result has been the same. The “voluntary groups” have consistently kicked the pants off of the government sanctioned and/or run “official” emergency responders in responding and getting things “up and running” again.