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LEWISTOWN, MO -- Frustrations are running high in Lewistown, Mo., as residents face another night out of their homes.

And the frustration is just as high for emergency crews from all over Lewis County and Northeast Missouri.

They've been working tirelessly since Sunday afternoon when that 15-,000  gallon propane tank in the center of Lewistown was discovered leaking.

Here's what happened today:

The nursing home near Lewistown, Country Aire Retirement Estates, was evacuated this morning.

And the evacuation radius has been expanded.

Now everyone within a three-mile radius of Lewistown is being asked to leave voluntarily for their own safety. But it is not a mandatory evacuation.

Crews have tried various strategies the last few days to drain the leaky propane tank faster.

They've tried burning off the propane in a controlled setting.

And they've been drafting the propane; that's where they place a pipe close to the leak, and transfer the gas into delivery trucks.

All of these strategies have worked, but not as fast as authorities would like.

The bitterly cold weather is to blame. The colder the temperatures, the longer it takes for propane to move and to disperse into the air.

Something that did go smoothly today was the evacuation of Country Aire Retirement Estates.

Fifty residents, plus 12 residents from Lewistown senior housing who had taken shelter there, all had to leave because of the expanded evacuation zone.

Some residents are staying with their families.

Nursing home buses and local ambulances helped transport the rest of them to other area nursing homes, LaBelle Manor and the Lewis County Nursing Home near Canton.

Staff from Country Aire will work at those other nursing homes for now.

But for those who had to leave everything behind two days ago, patience is running thin.

"It's devastating,'' said Anita Reinberg.

Reinberg and her seven children were evacuated from Lewistown Sunday and now finds herself looking for another place to go after the place she was staying was evacuated Tuesday. She's trying to find help for her family here at the Red Cross shelter.

And as you can imagine, frustrations like Reinberg's are running high with everyone who was forced to evacuate.

Jean Cary: "It's been so frustrating."

Jackie Kennedy: "Not much you can say...."

Marie Scoggin: "I had what I had on our back."

But some residents asked to leave their homes voluntarily on Tuesday say they'll wait.

About 16 Lewistown residents without a place to go are at the Red Cross shelter inside the First Baptist Church outside of Ewing, Missouri.

It offers food and a place to sleep and stay warm, all relatively close to their empty hometown.

Volunteers with the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief Group are cooking food for emergency volunteers called in to help with the propane leak.

Beth Dickerson, the Interim Director of the Northeast Missouri Red Cross says everyone at the shelter is in surprisingly good spirits.

By the way, emergency officials on the scene tell KHQA that the State emergency Management Agency has been notified and will be available to help families get back on their feet.

A lot of you probably have wondered about the pets and other animals that had to be left behind in Lewistown.

We spoke with the Humane Society of Missouri, which sent a rescue team from St. Louis late this afternoon.

The workers planned to meet with emergency management officials to see what help might be possible.

We got some phone calls today from Lewistown residents with prescriptions at Denman Pharmacy in Lewistown, wondering what they should do.

We spoke with one of the pharmacy owners and the managing pharmacist. Here's what they suggest:

*Have your physician call in a temporary prescription to another drug store that you can get to.

*Take your prescription bottle with you to another local pharmacy, explain the situation and ask if they can give you one refill.

*Be prepared to answer some questions and to give the pharmacist the name of your doctor.

For patients of Dr. Gene Childress, he has given all drug stores in Quincy approval for one refill of any maintenance drugs you might need.

This situation is frustrating for Denman, too, because they can't access any of their records to help their customers.

Here's another note for patients of Dr. Childress.

Until his office can open again, you can call Dr. Michael Dykstra's office in Canton at 573-288-5949. Or you can go to Quincy Medical Group's Ambulatory Care Center in Quincy.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes briefly Tuesday night to pick up pets or medications left behind. They were required to report to one of the roadblocks outside of town, then were escorted to their homes and back to pick up their possessions.