Oh yes....you know, it looked bad after the Northridge earthquake in the dark....then five hours later seeing hundreds of firetrucks roll in from Orange County etc made everyone feel better......within three days there was so much aid at Van Nuys Airport that I think they gave it to groups in the end....the hangers were stacked with water, etc.
After Charley last year, it was the sight of convoys of power trucks from all over the country (and even from Canada) coming down the highways that lifted our spirits. Some people even pulled over to the side of the road to cheer as they rolled by.