WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday declared a major disaster exists in a number of states which have been affected by Hurricane Irene last week, the White House said.

Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina on Saturday morning before moving north, leaving a trial of destruction along the U.S. East Coast. More than 40 people have been killed in the United States while damage has been estimated to be in the billions.

On Wednesday, Obama signed disaster declarations for the U.S. states of Iowa, North Carolina, New York, and New Jersey. All were seriously affected by the hurricane, and disaster declarations for other states are expected later this week.

As a result of the disaster declarations, federal funding will be available to individuals in the counties included in the declarations. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue welcomed the disaster declaration for seven of the state's counties. "I urged our federal partners to move quickly on this request for assistance, and they did," she said. "We're grateful for that rapid response. Our fellow North Carolinians who suffered losses during this storm need to start rebuilding their lives now - not tomorrow."

Other states also welcomed the declarations, but Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz criticized Obama and FEMA for excluding Brooklyn from New York's declaration. "This weekend all New Yorkers came together, prepared for, and fought through a tough storm. Our 'Brooklyn Attitude' allowed us to bounce back quickly and our city was open for business Monday morning," he said.

Markowitz explained Brooklyn suffered significant damage, including flooding. "Given these facts, I am absolutely dumbfounded that federal officials have excluded Kings County from a disaster declaration for public assistance. I applaud Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg for requesting this help, and hope that FEMA immediately reverses this dreadful decision and includes Brooklyn," he said.

FEMA said damage surveys are continuing in counties which were not included in the initial declarations, and said additional counties may be designated for assistance after the assessments are fully completed.

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