President Joe Biden has expanded a federal disaster declaration to include three more California counties in the wake of devastating storms that battered the state and were linked to at least 20 deaths. The counties of Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara are the newest counties added to the list. The declaration allows residents to apply for federal disaster assistance. The major disaster declaration also helps state, tribal and local governments with emergency response and costs. Leer en español. Biden initially approved Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties for the major disaster declaration. He is set to visit the Central Coast on Thursday. | RELATED | Click here to find information about applying for federal disaster assistance or call FEMA at 800-621-3362 or download the FEMA app.“I’m deeply thankful for the incredible support of our federal partners throughout this emergency as we’ve worked around the clock to save lives and help Californians whose lives have been turned upside down by these storms,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Thursday. “As communities across the state turn towards recovery, we will continue to work closely with our federal and local partners to support them.”Newsom requested an expedited major disaster declaration from the president last week, stating the majority of the state’s counties required additional federal assistance. At the time, Newsom said it was impossible to put a dollar amount on the damage as crews continued to prepare for another series of storms. A series of storms over the past three weeks has led to widespread flooding, downed trees, mudslides and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people in counties up and down the state. California emergency management officials have said more counties can be approved for the major disaster declaration as damage is assessed.