President Obama declares state of emergency in Georgia as Hurricane Matthew nears

President Obama declared a state of emergency in Georgia late Thursday night, freeing up federal aid to help state and local governments respond to Hurricane Matthew.

The declaration authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to manage disaster relief efforts and assist with emergency measures in 30 southeastern Georgia counties where Gov. Nathan Deal had already declared a state of emergency.

Those counties are: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware and Wayne.

Deal has already ordered more than 500,000 people to evacuate Bryan, Chatham, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn and Camden counties on Georgia’s eastern coastline, where heavy rainfall and storm surge are expected to cause flooding.

He’s urging voluntary evacuations for 100,000 people in low-lying areas west of Interstate 95.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 11:10 AM with the headline "President Obama declares state of emergency in Georgia as Hurricane Matthew nears."