WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump ordered federal funding to help some of the worst-hit regions of Georgia, on Friday, through a declaration approved earlier in the evening.
The disaster declaration comes in response to hurricane-turned-tropical storm Irma, which entered Georgia after slamming into Florida earlier in the month. The damage was so great that, at one point, more than half of all electricity customers in the state lost power.
Federal funding will be made available to the state and eligible to eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in all 159 counties in the state.
The declaration also specifically names some of the hardest hit parts of the state along the coast. The president's actions will make federal funding available to people impacted in Camden, Chatham, and Glynn counties - though officials confirm more counties could be added as the scope of damage continues to increase.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help both individual people and businesses recover from the effects of the disaster.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the named counties can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3363 or 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing and speech impaired.
The numbers are toll-free and will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET every day until further notice.
