Governor Kay Ivey submitted a request on Friday for a federal major disaster declaration for 23 Alabama counties following damage caused by Hurricane Isaias, WBMA ABC 33/40 reported. WALA FOX10 reported the same request and said it covers 23 counties and seeks aid for governments and residents.

Source: WBMA ABC 33/40 via Spot On Alabama

Congressman Shomari Figures said he had sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking the White House to approve Governor Ivey's request as quickly as possible. In the letter, Figures said the storm brought damaging winds, heavy rain, flooding, power outages and widespread damage in Alabama, and that the hardest-hit areas included several southern Alabama counties.

The new request is a separate, higher step from the federal emergency declaration approved on October 9, which covered Baldwin, Escambia and Mobile Counties and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and authorised federal help for emergency protective measures at a 75 percent federal cost share, according to earlier reporting on the Federal Emergency Management Agency declaration. A major disaster declaration, if approved, could open the door to Individual Assistance for residents and Public Assistance for damaged roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.

Alabama has been assessing damage since the storm struck the Gulf Coast earlier this month. Governor Ivey extended the state's emergency order on October 14 through October 28 as crews restored power and officials documented damage that could help the state qualify for federal aid. The Alabama Emergency Management Agency had said Federal Emergency Management Agency teams joined state and county officials to conduct preliminary damage assessments.

No approval of the major disaster request had been announced in the reports reviewed for this story. The request is now before the White House, and residents in the affected counties will have to wait for that decision to learn what additional federal help, if any, becomes available.