Utahns rally to aid victims of hurricane

State officials spent Thursday fine-tuning plans to house and care for up to 1,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina, while they awaited word on when those refugees might arrive in Utah.

"We've just been making all kinds of plans in terms of logistics and what we need and who's going to do what," community advocate Pamela Atkinson said. "When we do get the word, we'll start activating these plans."

Utah was one of four states asked Wednesday by Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to take in victims of the devastating hurricane. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

responded that the state could immediately take 1,000 refugees, although the state had not heard late Thursday from Louisiana officials about when that might happen.

"It's a little tumultuous at this time," Huntsman chief of staff Jason Chaffetz said. "We're in a holding pattern on that. Everybody's ready and willing. We just need the official call."

Meanwhile, plans to house the displaced Louisiana residents continued. Members of the Utah Air National Guard and six planes stand ready to transport National Guard members to the Gulf Coast to aid in relief efforts and to return to Utah with refugees, Col. Charles Dressen said.

Late Thursday, three communications specialists from the National Guard's 85th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team left Utah for the Gulf Coast in a van equipped with satellite voice and data communications capability. The soldiers were sent at the request of the Louisiana National Guard, and while others are prepared for deployment, no other request for additional Utah Guard members has been made, according to the Utah National Guard.

When they arrive in Utah, evacuees will be housed primarily at Camp Williams, a National Guard training facility 26 miles south of Salt Lake City. A 400-bed homeless shelter in Midvale will be used as an overflow center, as well as space at Dugway Proving Ground in Tooele County, if necessary, said Verdi White, director of the Utah Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security.

Refugees will go through a medical screening upon their arrival at the Salt Lake City International Airport, said Jan Buttrey, emergency medical services director for the state Department of Health.