Not having access to a TV or a newspaper for days, Johnson said he didn't even fully know what was happening around him.

"You're hungry and ignorant to what's going on," he said of what it was like waiting for help.

Once Johnson stepped off the plane in Salt Lake City, "It was like a great weight lifted off my shoulders. I don't know if I can explain it," he said.

Saturday, what Johnson said he really wanted now was a hamburger. And as for what he knew about Utah prior to arriving, "I know the Utah Jazz. I know you stole our team."

After getting the first planeload onto buses, Lt. Col. Dave Thomas of the Utah National Guard breathed a sigh of relief after a marathon 24-hour preparation for the 300 evacuees.

"I'll be excited once we see them all here. It's kind of like anticipating Christmas," Thomas said. "We just want to make sure we treat them right. They've been through a lot, and we don't want to add to that."

Thomas and a team of National Guardsmen, state officials, Red Cross workers and Health Department staff were ready and waiting for the first load of refugees.

After the initial reception, Thomas said, flights with the remaining refugees will likely come sporadically through the next few days.

"Right now we're not quite sure after these four airplanes. I'm sure we'll have them coming in at weird hours," he said.

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com; preavy@desnews.com