“We got some data that the movement was further below the surface than we thought initially,” Town Manager Bob McLaurin said.

Residents who live on the hillside received word from law enforcement officers who went door to door on Budge Drive.

The road was blocked at its intersection with West Broadway by police barricades. Only those who live on the hillside were allowed through to pack their things and leave. After 10 p.m., the road would be closed to all traffic, officials said.

Resident Tim Bohan knew of the evacuation before police officers knocked on his door.

“They said the situation has changed.You need to be out by 10 p.m., or we won’t coming looking for you,” Bohan said.

The evacuation order came about six hours after town officials announced the Walgreens at the base of the butte was closed because it was deemed structurally unsafe. That closure also came with an evacuation advisory, later upgraded to the order, for nearby residents.

By 9:30 p.m., 24 people who left the neighborhood had registered at a nearby Red Cross trailer. Police talked to 52 residents on the butte and estimated 62 people live there.

The developments Wednesday came in the wake of growing worry at the town about the stability of the butte. The road and parking lot of Walgreens have been distorted and buckled by ground movement, which was also the cause of breaks in nearby water pipes last weekend. A scarp face several inches deep has ripped the hillside above the pharmacy.

Jackson Police Officer Kevin Jones stood at Budge Drive as the evening grew darker. He told residents who were trying to drive home of the order.

Some took the news in stride, others appeared shaken and sped up the road to their houses.

Jones described the mood of those he spoke with as “cooperative” but “concerned.” Jones himself admitted to being slightly nervous at his position beneath the cliff.

The evacuation extended to the “Hillside Complex,” which includes Rendezvous River Sports and Sidewinders Tavern.

Will Taggart, who lives and works in the building, wasn’t too concerned about the instability of the butte, partially because he doesn’t live directly below the open slope.

“I’m not that scared for my house, I guess, but you never know,” Taggart said. “It’s a gigantic hill that’s crumbling.”

Evacuees who registered with the Red Cross will be notified when the order is lifted. Kevin Gannon drove his Toyota Tacoma packed with camping gear and clothes to the trailer Wednesday evening.

Like some others who don’t live directly above the cliff and the Walgreens, Gannon said he was “not too worried,” because his house is on the far west side of Budge Drive.

He had plenty of options for places to stay, he said.

“I’ve had 20 phone calls of people offering their guest rooms,” Gannon said.

The most visible signs of the earth movement may be at the house at the top of Budge Drive that is perched above Walgreens. A significant crack has appeared in the driveway.

From the street, the house looks distorted. One garage door doesn’t shut all the way because the ground has slumped. The sides of the house appear to no longer be perpendicular.

Councilman Jim Stanford, who toured the house Wednesday, said it is “trashed” inside. The News&Guide was refused entry by a family member of the homeowner. That person was moving things out of the house.

The living room is sloped downhill, Stanford said. In the kitchen, the planks of the wooden floor are coming apart. Cabinets have fallen off the wall.

— Johanna Love contributed to the story.