People who stuck around and endured banded together. But if I had a neighbor who was out of town during all this, I would hold zero expectation for him to cut his trip short and come back to help me out. That's how liberty works. My neighbor helping me out is charity, not obligation, and he is no less of a man for not being around, or putting his own family first.
I take care of my family first before others. Call me callous, I guess. I call myself the head of the household.