The evacuees are to live in Pigeon Forge and other East Tennessee cities temporarily after being sent out of the path of Hurricane Ike, which officially made landfall in Galveston, Texas on Saturday at 2:30 a.m.CST.
Around 100 evacuees have settled in Eastern Tennessee until Hurricane Ike has passed, and it has been declared safe to return home. "We're so happy to be safe." says Kristi Andrews of Galveston.
Andrews said she recalls the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina all too well, and is not taking chances with Ike.
"We moved to the Galveston area from Louisiana, after Katrina, hoping we would be safer", quotes Andrews.
Evacuees continue to arrive, even as Hurricane Ike destroys their home towns.
Officials in Texas say that these evacuees might not be able to safely return home for as many as three weeks.
Pigeon Forge has received over 100 evacuees, and may see even more by morning. In all, officials say there are roughly 50,000 evacuees fleeing the approaching hurricane.