Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. had requested the emergency declaration this weekend and Bush approved it early Monday before leaving to tour relief operations in Baton Rouge, La.

Bush approved declarations for six other states as well, the White House announced, bringing the total to 11 now under states of emergency. Declarations for two other states were pending.

Monday's declaration allows Utah to be reimbursed for all expenses directly attributed to sheltering the evacuees, most of whom are from the New Orleans area.

"It's good to know that he has" signed the declaration, said Huntsman chief of staff Jason Chaffetz.

Utah was expecting up to 2,000 refugees from the decimated areas in Louisiana and Mississippi, but Federal Emergency Management officials suspended flights from New Orleans to Salt Lake City after efforts to evacuate people to nearby states worked more smoothly than expected, Chaffetz said.

Huntsman has requested $5 million from the White House, which said Monday that all related costs of the evacuees will be covered by federal funds.

The White House also has approved emergency declarations in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Colorado; the latter six are sheltering evacuees.

Also Monday, FEMA Director Michael Brown named Douglas A. Gore to serve as the agency's coordinating officer in Utah.

tburr@sltrib.com