As those fleeing Hurricane Ivan to the south continued to flood into Natchez Wednesday, Natchezians themselves continued to rise to the occasion by helping out any way they could.

Animals lovers such as Amy Hall of Vidalia and Shirley Wheatley of Natchez opened their doors, and their yards, to pets who couldn’t stay in hotels, in shelters or in booked-up veterinarians’ offices.

Nurses, some of whom were already due to work later Wednesday, volunteered much of their off-time to help at local shelters.

Other Red Cross volunteers helped in numerous ways, including staying at the Louisiana Welcome Center in Vidalia to make sure evacuees could get information on accommodations and other help 24 hours a day.

Churches opened their doors to provide shelter and activities for those fleeing Ivan.

Businesses also got into the act, with grocery stores donating 140 pounds of ground beef to the Red Cross for use at shelters and giving out gift certificates for food.

Several other businesses provided ice, gave people a safe place to store their cars and provided any other goods or services they could.

Nonprofits also sprung into action, with not only the Red Cross, but the Salvation Army also fielding almost nonstop calls for help, asking for bed linens, clothing and other needed items.

And Salvation Army workers, Baptist volunteers and others are already preparing to go into the heart of the storm’s devastation to help victims there. There, they will be feeding storm victims, clothing them and making sure they can communicate with the outside even without phones.

In crisis, we see the people of the Miss-Lou at their best.