As residents flee Galveston, cities along I-45 are trying to accommodate them. In Huntsville, one family says they didn't think twice about packing their bags and heading north for shelter.

The Thompson family unpacked their belongings and set up at a church shelter in Huntsville. Unsure of what hurricane Rita will do to their home in Galveston, the Thompson's tried to pack most of their valued possessions.

" We're just going to stay until they say it's safe to go home because we really don't have any place else to go. Out nearest relatives live in Las Vegas," said Aubriella Thompson.

Her son, 11 year old Nicholas Thompson says he's been studying hurricanes and the damage and devastation they can cause.

" I was kind of scared at first because of the great storm and everything. I'd been getting books from the library and researching it," said Nicholas.

The Thompson's left Galveston Tuesday night and were among a long line of evacuees fleeing Galveston.

" They were running out of gas. You could only get supreme gas, all the regular unleaded was gone and there was a lot of traffic," said Mrs Thompson.

Evacuees traveling by bus along I-45 will stop at a weigh station in New Waverly. They will check in and get assigned a shelter.

The Thompson family was one of the first to find shelter in Huntsville and like many other families, they say they're trying to stay ahead of the storm.

Huntsville shelters are expected to fill up. The city is expecting 30 buses from Galveston. 4 church shelters are open and Sam Houston State University is on standby to house 1,000 evacuees.