Overnight only 10 evacuees were at the Red Cross shelter at the Frank Cochran Center in Meridian, Miss. As of early Friday morning, that number had swelled to almost 70 and throughout the day it continued to rise. Anticipating even more evacuees to arrive, Red Cross officials say they are ready.

"There are a lot of people coming in our community seeking shelter. They are in the parking lots of Wal-Mart, of Sam's. They're everywhere, so I anticipate filling that shelter up and opening Poplar Springs Drive Baptist by the first thing (Saturday) morning," said Cheri Barry, who is the executive director the Key Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Along with more evacuees and possibly the opening of an additional shelter, Barry says she needs additional volunteers as well, especially from the medical field.

"Right now, we are in great need of nurses, EMTs and doctors to help us staff our shelters," says Barry. "They have to be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

As with Hurricane Katrina, forecasters say Hurricane Rita is packing a lot of punch. That could leave a trail of damage where it hits. Because of this, officials are reminding locals to be prepared with extra food and water and medications.

Meanwhile, as for how long the Red Cross evacuee shelters will stay open, "This may be another four weeks because there's going to be a whole new group of people that will be displaced from their homes," says Barry. "We are ready. We are."

In addition to shelters, hotels in the Meridian area are already full. As a matter of fact, we're told there is hardly a hotel with an empty room south of Birmingham, Ala.

For some of the people, they're here for the second time. They evacuated during Katrina. Now they're leaving because of Rita.

For others, it is their first evacuation and they've come from as far away as Houston, Tex.