JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- In 2005, Hurricane Katrina brought together members of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and officers from Picayune, Mississippi. Nearly four years later, members of the two departments met again in Jacksonville, to share their gratitude.

After the hurricane devastated the Gulf Coast, JSO sent officers to Picayune, Miss., to help the police department there. Picayune had received minimal damage from the storm, but saw an influx of people fleeing lower ground along the coast. Their police officers were working hard, and Jacksonville police stepped in to help.

"They were there when we needed 'em," said Picayune police Chief Jim Luke. "We had been seven days without any rest, we didn't know where we were going to get food, we didn't know how we were going to protect our community, and when the Jacksonville sheriff's department showed up, they were the first boots on the ground."

This afternoon, officers from the two departments shared a lunch at JSO headquarters. Luke presented Sheriff John Rutherford with a plaque, expressing their gratitude. Picayune police said the assistance from JSO gave them a chance to check on their own families and property.

Luke said the city of Picayune is now bouncing back from the storm. Officers from both police departments say they now feel better prepared to handle a hurricane or similar disaster, and stressed the importance of having your own hurricane plan.