My son lived in a home in a residential area that is part of Ocean Springs that was only two or three blocks from the Gulf of Mexico. We did not know if our son had made it to safety. He managed to get out of the area before the hurricane hit, but he only made it to the house of friends in Pascagoula whose home was also destroyed. The day after the storm, we were greatly relieved when he was able to call us, thanks to a total stranger who had a cell phone that was working and who generously allowed people to line up and use his phone to contact their families to let them know that they had survived the storm. When he called, he was standing on the side of a road, homeless, thirsty and hungry, and with only his two dogs that he had saved.

I loaded up my car with as much water, food, and supplies as I could carry to give to those in need and headed south. After finding him, my son suggested that we head to Pascagoula and distribute those things.

Having seen and read of looting and violence in some areas of destruction, especially New Orleans, I was a bit apprehensive about going into an area of destruction. I had visions of people fighting over the things that I had to offer, but I went despite those reservations. What I found when we arrived in a very badly hit area of Pascagoula was a testament to the goodness of people in general and the people of Mississippi specifically. Misfortune on such a scale brings out the best and worst in people, but I found nothing but the best.

We drove up and down the streets ,and it appeared that the area was totally abandoned. I saw no sign of people, and it was totally silent. We would stop and shut off the engine in the rubble here and there, and the stillness was almost deafening. Then we would call out softly, "Is anyone there?" and slowly dark forms would emerge from the rubble: little children, white people, black people, old people. It was like dark ghosts were forming out of the rubble or dead people were rising up out of their graves. We asked them if they needed anything and, in almost every instance, they would quietly say that they had plenty! They would tell us that we should check down the street and point the way to another rubble heap. The people had absolutely nothing, and they were too proud and too concerned for other people to accept anything. Only about one in 20 people would accept something, but they all thanked us profusely for offering.

This disaster has revealed the amazing goodness of the people of Mississippi. .

Tom Johnston, Warrenville, Ill.