VIDALIA — Heather Rushing isn’t all that worried about the moving flood waters she believes may soon fill her St. Charles Street house.

Everything special to Heather will already be gone.

Her family — extended family included — began making plans to move all of their belongings to higher ground Monday.

They beat the crowd and reserved several storage units in Natchez Monday night before they were all gone. Friends and family in Natchez are also taking in Rushing’s belongings and ultimately the family members.

The family rented a U-Haul, took off work and packed all day Tuesday to get everything out. The plan is to be totally out by the end of the day today.

“We’ve got everything we need and the majority of our other belongings,” she said.

The moving truck included furniture, the washing machine and dryer, clothes, family photos, toys and more.

“It’s never been this high, and they are not going to tell us to get out until the last minute,” she said. “We wanted to make sure we have everything to start over again.”

If the levees don’t hold the water and the house floods, well, Rushing’s OK.

“I’ll just take a broom and sweep it out the front door,” she said. “It will be like spring cleaning.”

Rushing and family weren’t alone.

Dozens of Vidalia and Concordia Parish residents made the choice to move at least some of their belongings to Natchez — just ask the owners of the mini-storage companies.

“We stay pretty well full all the time, but today, the phone calls have been ungodly,” said Teresa Ogden with Skates Mini Storage on U.S. 61 North. “I started renting rooms last week. The smart ones called last week.”

Ogden estimated the business had received a least a couple of hundred phone calls seeking mini-storage space on Monday and Tuesday alone.

“It rings every minute or two, and we have to tell them, ‘We don’t have anything,’” she said.

Across Natchez, the story was repeated.

Cathy Felter at Spanky’s Mini Storage said they were full and had started putting names on a waiting list. By 4:30 p.m. Tuesday the list was already up to 14 names.

“They’re calling all the way from Alexandria,” she said.

No storage units contacted Tuesday reported openings.

Calls were also coming in to banks for safe deposit boxes and to hotels for rooms.

“We are getting some calls; people are getting prices and looking for something on a weekly or monthly rate,” Days Inn Natchez General Manager Norman Hebert said.

Few were booking right now, but Hebert expected that to change.

Lucky Vidalians, though, are preparing to simply move back home.

Hugh Arnold and his wife Hollie began packing and delivering personal belongings to Hugh’s parents Natchez house Tuesday.

“We are hoping and praying that the levees hold, but we are being cautious,” Hugh said. “Nobody thought Katrina would knock down the levees.”

The Arnolds’ three young children know something is up, but only the eldest, who is 8, is expressing worry.

All Vidalians have the chance, right now anyway to save the most important things, Rushing said.

“As long as we’ve got each other, we can start over anywhere,” she said.