Eighteen additional counties in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Irene have been added to President Obama’s August 25 emergency declaration, according to officials with the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

There are now 34 counties designated under the emergency

Declaration, to include all four in the Roanoke-Chowan area (Bertie, Gates, Hertford and Northampton) along with Beaufort, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Wayne, Washington and Wilson.

As part of the emergency declaration, FEMA is authorized to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent federal funding.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the State and warranted by the results of further evaluation.