Disaster Declaration Approved for North Carolina Tornado

President Donald Trump has approved a request from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper for a federal disaster declaration for tornado damage in Guilford and Rockingham counties.

Cooper declared a state of emergency for Guilford and Rockingham counties on April 20 and sent the federal disaster declaration request to the president five days later.

The approval means families and business owners can apply for financial help to repair and rebuild.

A statement from Cooper’s office said storm survivors are encouraged to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency online or via phone as soon as possible. Within the next few days, state and federal emergency management agency representatives will open disaster recovery centers in the affected communities to help individuals compete the applications in person.