Evacuees arrive in Oklahoma Survivors of Katrina need basic supplies, long-term help.

Hurricane Katrina evacuees who arrived in Oklahoma this weekend will need help with everything from food and shelter to health care and jobs, officials said.

The first large group arrived Saturday at Fort Gruber, a National Guard facility near Muskogee, said Jerry Lojka, spokesman for the Oklahoma Emergency Management Department. About 1,500 evacuees are housed there now, and about 3,500 more were expected Monday at Falls Creek, a camp near Davis.

In addition to the state-run efforts, some Norman and Oklahoma City religious organizations and private groups opened their doors to evacuees this weekend, and more moved into homes, apartments and hotels in the area.

Lojka said many of the evacuees will not be able to go back to their homes in Louisiana and Mississippi in the near future.

“These folks could be here quite a while,” he said. “We’re looking at over a month, for sure.”

As the evacuees began to arrive, state agencies and nonprofit organizations geared up to receive them. Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency in Oklahoma on Friday, which allows the government to respond more efficiently to the situation here and in neighboring states, according to a press release.

Henry also asked for a federal disaster declaration for Oklahoma to help the state deal with the influx of evacuees, which was granted Monday.

“Oklahoma is doing its part to deliver assistance in this time of national emergency. We are doing everything we can to provide shelter and care to those in need of aid,” he said in a release. “We will also rely on our friends in surrounding states to assist us when our facilities and resources reach the limit.”

Some aid organizations worked to both assist victims in the affected areas and help those in Oklahoma, a situation that could put pressure on those groups’ resources.

“It’s definitely going to put a strain on our warehouse supply,” said Beth Bullis-Teubner, community relations coordinator for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

The food bank’s executive director went to Baton Rouge recently with four truckloads of food to set up a warehouse there, Bullis-Teubner said. In addition, the food bank is helping churches and nonprofit organizations feed evacuees in the Oklahoma City area.

Despite the strain, Bullis-Teubner said she thinks the food bank will be able to meet most needs for the foreseeable future.

“We, at this time, are still able to have normal operations in this area,” she said.

Once immediate demands for food, shelter and clothing are met, evacuees who may be living in the area for months will need new forms of help, Lojka said.

“The needs will change,” he said. “Housing will be a problem, and jobs will be an issue, too.”

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.